The Wine Goddess

a Nice Homley Place, with a dash of pizzazz and spirits of wine

My fiancé and I stopped by The Wine Goddess on our way back from signing a lease to our new place. I was hesitant about the Evanston area, but I feel I truly found my people at The Wine Goddess! They do tastings Friday and Saturday evenings for just five dollars and they host a wide array of events from book themed tastings to cheese pairings. Now, if only they had wifi for this graduate student!

I like to meet my honey for a glass of wine when he gets off the train from work. Also a delightful music venue. This is a lovely neighborhood spot

If you’re looking for an «outside the norm» wine selection with knowledgable guides (and a price point that doesn’t require a second mortgage) Wine Goddess is a great option! My husband and I popped in for the first time to try out their wine tasting this afternoon. The pours were a bit smaller than I was expecting, but at $ 5 for 6 wines it’s still a good deal. I also really appreciated that they offer a range of price points, from $ 10 and up. (We ended up purchasing a South African white wine for $ 20 incl tax.) At first I was a little intimidated by how knowledgable our pourer was, but as I started asking questions he was super friendly and offered really interesting info. Definitely worth coming by (and grabbing a glass too!) I think we’ll be back, if only to tap into their diverse beer and spirits too!

As a Main Street resident, I was so pleased when Diana came to our little neck of the Evanston woods. She is delightfully enthusiastic about wine and its capacity for bringing people together with good food and company, and her enthusiasm is infectious. We love stopping by the Wine Goddess for a bottle before dinner parties or a quiet night at home, and Diana and her team are always on hand to give great advice to suit any budget and palate. I don’t know a lot about wine, but never feel like I’m being talked-​down to. She also has a great selection of spirits and beer, and the place just feels warm and lovely, a brilliant stop for a quick glass of wine under the Christmas tree while it snows outside. Wine is great for SAD!

In a nutshell, The Wine Goddess is everything I loved most about living in Europe – delicious and affordable wines, craft beers, plenty of cheese!!!, live music, interesting people – all wrapped up into one adorable little shop. Even though I no longer live in the area, I’m very jealous of the nearby Evanstonians and always make it a point to stop into WG when I’m back in Chicago. Every time I’m here, I’m immediately transported back to my years spent in Italy, back to al fresco happy hours, back to everyone savoring La Dolce Vita a little bit more. Diana and her staff truly live up to this mantra. They’re helpful, attentive, and kind. They care about bringing a little bit of joy into people’s lives and a little bit of post-​workday fun to the neighborhood though events, tastings, and classes. The Wine Goddess helps downtown make Evanston feel more like a small town, and whenever I’m there, I feel like I’m at home.

The Wine Goddess is an amazing place to go if you like wine. If you know your wine, Diana (the owner) has an excellent selection in any price range you are looking for, yes even the charming cheapies. If you don’t know your wine, but want to get to know your wine, then this is the place for you! Diana and her staff are extremely knowledgeable about wine and are always willing to share that knowledge without judgement. They are not trying to pressure you into buying the most expensive wine… the only thing they want is for you and your wine to be happy together.
The atmosphere here is relaxed and joyful. They serve wine by the glass or bottle. There is a lovely little lounge area to hang out and enjoy the company of your friends while you drink an excellent wine at a great price and without having to yell over the crowd to hear one another. Did I mention the meat and cheese platter… yum. Diana teaches wine classes, again, not with the goal of getting you to buy her wine, but to share the knowledge of the grape and assist you in having a deeper understanding and connection to wine.
Love this place!

I love wine. I love small wine shops. I love small wine shops that have a wide selection and a range of prices. I love small wine shops that have a wide selection, a range of prices, that have wine tastings, and are in my neighborhood. I love Wine Goddess. My first encounter was during the Custer St. Fair, when I had a lovely rose after is had my fill of beer. The woman I talked to who was manning their tent was incredibly friendly and helpful, which made me want to visit again. This business is a great addition to Evanston, one that will be in my regular rotation.

I was lucky enough to stumble upon this place when they had a holiday wine tasting. Not only do they have a fantastic assortment of delicious wines, reasonably priced for that level of quality, but Diana (owner/​goddess) is extremely accessible and helpful in demystifying wine and leading you toward the perfect choice for whatever the occasion. I bought 2 of her recommendations for a celebration dinner at a high-​end BYOB and her picks were awesome and complemented the food and the evening perfectly. She also has an excellent memory and is a delight to deal with.
They also do classes and again, she demystifies the sometimes intimidating world of wine and brings the deliciousness home to your nose and your palate.
If I lived within walking distance, I’d be in here every day.

Diana and her staff are friendly and knowledgeable and they have a fantastic selection at all price points. We frequently go in, tell Diana what we’re planning to cook for dinner and have her pick out the perfect wine pairing for us. She’s never failed us! This is the kind of service you can’t get from a grocery store, and is totally worth making an extra stop.

The Wine Goddess is a hidden gem of Evanston! Not only do they have a kickass assortment of wine, but Diana (the proprietor) always knows exactly what you are looking for and provides that personal customer service that can only be found in a «small business’ atmosphere.
They now have a wine bar; it’s very close to the Purple line and Metra station and a perfect place to get together with friends after a hard day’s work. My FAVORITE event that Diana does (and she does several fun events), is the Wine Extravaganza; wine vendors from all over the world come to this event where you pay $ 15 and can sample oodles of wines from each vendor.
The long and the short of it is: It doesn’t get any better than the Wine Goddess. They are by far, the best wine shop in Evanston – and quite possibly the state!

I love The Wine Goddess. Besides the fact that it is walking distance from my home, it has a friendly, inviting atmosphere. I have had the pleasure of going to wine, beer, and whiskey tastings a few times and I am always happy I went. The tastings give you an array of choices if wanting to purchase a full glass. There is always something to snack on with your drink/​s. The wine selection is plentiful and cheap! I never leave the store empty handed. The employees have a wealth of knowledge on the products they sell, and are kind, friendly, and happy to take the time to discuss wine selections or anything with you!

«Give me your prosperous, your pompous,
Your huddled one-​percenters yearning to breathe exclusivity,
The noble elitists of your affluent shore.
Send these, the snobs, haughty, to me:
I lift my wine glass beside our Wine Goddess door.»
Thank you, Wine Goddess. My experience at your store inspired me to bastardize our country’s most beautifully welcoming, inclusive sonnet in order to accurately portray the inhospitableness I felt upon walking through your front door.
The day was September 4, 2013, and I was on a mission to mail several packages. I saw Wine Goddess across the street from the post office and thought, «I have 10 minutes to spare, and our wine fridge is looking a little bare. Time to carpe diem and stock up.»
When I walked in, I smiled warmly at the two ladies sitting behind the counter. I was the only customer in the store, instantly eliciting a marvelously awkward feeling. In response to their «hellos», I said, «Hi! This is my first time in your shop — it’s so cute!» I was overly cheerful because I suddenly felt as if I was an unannounced guest, rudely interrupting the ladies’ busy day.
In the name of full disclosure, I need to share an important detail of this story: I was not exactly «dressed up». I was wearing workout clothes — yoga pants and a striped, short-​sleeve t-​shirt. Hair pulled back into a pony tail, head adorned with a Northwestern University ball cap. No makeup. However, I was carrying a (pedestrian) Coach purse (not as impressive as Louis Vuitton, I know), so I don’t THINK I looked like I belonged in a cardboard box under the «L» tracks. Based on how I was treated, though, I believe the ladies behind the counter thought differently.
On the heels of my compliment, I asked a question: «I see your pinot noirs over there — can you tell me about them?»
One of the ladies got up from her chair and walked over to the shelves. Cheerfully yet with a hint of irritation and condescension, she gestured to the top four shelves and said, «These are the high-​dollar pinot noirs — up here.» (All of the bottles featured prominent price tags, so I could have come to this conclusion on my own.) Gesturing to the bottom two shelves, she said, «These are the low-​dollar pinot noirs. Here is one for $ 12.50, which is good for the price.»
Because Midwestern politeness is ingrained in the genetic composition of my DNA, I reacted to her short and insulting description of their pinot noir selection with kindness she didn’t deserve: «Oh, okay. Thank you. How about your Chardonnays? Can you tell me a little about the Chardonnays you carry? I tend to like the more ‘oaky’ and buttery Chardonnays.»
Again, she gestured to the bottom-​shelf wines — the cheapest ones they carry — not offering one ounce of information beyond the price points of each varietal. «The low-​dollar chardonnays are down here,» she said, echoing the information she provided about their pinot noirs.
Needless to say, it didn’t feel very good to have this woman look at me and surmise that I’m a bottom-​shelf wine drinker.
I ended up buying two bottles of wine. As soon as I left Wine Goddess, I was kicking myself for patronizing that store. If anything, I should have abandoned all politeness, leaving the store after saluting the lady who «helped» me with my middle finger. Civility and common decency, however, prevented me from acting on this desire.
If, after reading my review and the reviews of a few other Wine Goddess customers who had similar experiences with snooty rudeness, I have one note of advice for you: Be sure to walk in with your nose held high and your Louis Vuitton purse in clear view, signaling that you are a member of the Wine Goddess’s preferred, pretentious clientele.

My husband and I visited Wine Goddess after a trip to Dave’s Rock Shop just next door. We had tried to plan our day so that we could participate in the afternoon wine tasting, but were early.
The shop décor was bright and colorful though still conveying a pleasant mood for any wine, light and crisp to bold and brooding. The owner was on premises and amidst reorganizing her inventory as well as the layout of the store.
I’ll say this — the girl knew her wine. If you want a good recommendation that listens to your price point, palate preference and nothing else, this is a great shop to patron. But if you’re looking to receive a decent level of customer service along with that, you may be disappointed.
I imagine her lack of attentiveness had something to do with the store’s reorganizing. There was a lot going on around us. But hey, why not close your doors and reopen when you’re actually ready to be open? My husband and I both felt like we were imposing when we had questions. That is a TERRIBLE way to make a customer feel, especially when that customer is trying to support local, independently-​owned specialty shops.
Also, I’m not sure if her sing-​song, chirpy voice is who she is or was over-​compensating for the lack of readiness and actual customer service, but either way, it came off near-​condescending. I had started with 3 stars, but after reading similar experiences to mine, I knocked it down to 2. Knowing wine isn’t enough. If you’re on the floor, you need to be personable and available.
Bottom line: The two wines we chose per her recommendation were FABULOUS. She had an extensive inventory hitting all price points. I will go again hoping that this was a one-​off bad first impression. After all, she was distracted due to an effort to improve her vision and customer shopping experience.

Wine Goddess carries wines which range widely in terms of their price, origin, and flavor. They also have a small but good selection craft beers and spirits.
The best way to taste the wines they carry is to attend one of their big wine tasting events. I went to one such event in December 2013, and it was a great deal: $ 10 to try up to 50 wines they carry in store! Every table I went to had multiple wines I liked, which to me made this event a much better deal than Wine Riot (where the latter had many wines I didn’t care for). Every Friday and Saturday, they also offer tastings of a small selection of wines for $ 5 per person.
Wine Goddess offers wine classes as well. Check their website to see the class dates, times, and prices.
The store is nicely laid out and even has a children-​friendly area with toys and such. The staff are generally helpful. Next time you’re looking for some beer, wine, or spirits, I highly recommend stopping in Wine Goddess and instead of Jewel/​Whole Foods/​Trader Joe’s.

I came here on a mission to taste 50 wines for $ 10. A bargain, right? Except I only had a chance to taste 32. That was my compromise to combat tipsiness while also sampling breads from Hewn and delectable cheeses. In the process, I discovered two delicious wines – Peloponnesian moschofilero and a Robert Sinskey Vineyard pinot noir. I’ll definitely visit to pick up wines in the future. Note that you can also come here on Saturdays 3−6pm for their weekly $ 5 wine tastings.

I’m surprised that I haven’t written them a review yet. They have a train table — perfect mommy/​child playdate here. One of my girlfriends and I have met up several times for a tasting (and grabbed a bottle to go for dinner) with our kids playing at the train table.
I’ve also been to one of their regular private events for the Oktoberfest where we sampled 15 different types of beer and had a blast with it! They also carry hard liquor including our favorite Few whiskey and gin.

Ok beer friends, listen up:
It may say Wine Goddess out front, but this is the only store that I know of that is getting regular shipments of Zombie Dust. ZOMBIE DUST OMFG RIGHT HERE. After being saved a six pack for one of the wonderful people who works here, I will never, ever shop anywhere else.
Also: the wine selection is great.
Also: the small liquor section is also great.
Please, no more Davis St. No more desperate Jewel nights. Just go to the Wine Goddess.

The Wine Goddess is the bomb! My partner and I recently went to their wine tasting and we couldn’t have enjoyed ourselves more. They had a dj, lots of wines to taste, delicious nibblies, not to mention fun locals to mingle with. My partner Tim usually stops by here on his way home right off the metra and grabs several bottles of wine or champagne. The selection of wines, champagnes and beers is quite good with varying price points; and they offer great suggestions every time we walk in. What makes this place stand out is the friendly customer service each time we walk in… but then again, we usually get in return what we give out in the beginning. Hint hint to those who don’t receive good customer service! :)

Super pretty store with a really wide selection of wine, of which I know nothing about. Luckily there’s these two nice ladies that work there who can help you make the perfect choice. I got a really lovely bottle of pino grigio that didn’t give me a hangover even after half a bottle! ;)
Not in the mood for wine? (That’s insane!) They’ve also got a good selection of craft beers for sale.
I think they’re starting classes/​workshops too. Can’t wait to get back!