Following a change in ownership, Joe’s Wine Cellar is rebranding to Le Midi, reopening in Wicker Park at 2108 W. Division St.
The wine store is making some drastic changes following the retirement of longtime owner Joe Dalton. Now, new owners Craig Perman and Seth Wilson are closing the wine shop for a few months starting on July 10 to make a few changes. When the new store reopens, customers can expect a sit-down wine bar with a tasting room serving small plates with a Mediterranean focus. The duo plan to reopen as Le Midi in mid-to-late August, according to Block Club Chicago.
While the new owners will maintain the store’s retail component, they will also add a food menu with 15-20 small plates focusing on wine pairings. The two will also incorporate some “wine-driven” cocktails, although there will not be a full bar. Instead, the new Le Midi will be full service, with a well-knowledged staff prepared to help anyone with pairing or inventory.
“We thought that Chicago could use a style of wine cafe, bar, tasting room that is more European in style,” Wilson tells Block Club Chicago. “So that’s where our influence comes from; even the name Le Midi is inspired by the geographical region that connects Italy, Spain, and France through the Alps and Pyrenees. And since we have both spent quite a bit of time in those regions, we thought we can bring that culture into Joe’s.”
There are two main reasons why Perman and Wilson are making these changes. First, to become one of Chicago’s most unique wine stores offering delicious wines from various European countries. Additionally, they hope to bring the Mediterranean tradition of l’heure d’apero, the time before or after dinner when friends and family enjoy a glass of wine with small bites. Perman, owner of Perman Wine Selections on the Near North Side, and Wilson, the former wine director at the Lettuce Entertain You restaurant group, bought the business from Dalton last year following his retirement.
“We are definitely ready and excited, and we think it’s going to be a great addition to Wicker Park,” Wilson said. “Both Craig and I have been in the wine trade in Chicago and elsewhere for many years. And so I think with the opening also comes the reputation that we’ve built individually and together in the city.”
