The Chicago Wine Company

These guys do a great job. I have now purchased from their retail site as well as bid in my first auction by submitting my bids prior to the auction. They have been very helpful in getting my bids placed the first time (had some issues and they responded with a call and emails), as well as delivering my orders free of charge to my local Domaine Wine Storage which is a plus since I can expect it gets there in good condition (and under a better temperature). Like any of the auction house or online retailers, you need to do your research on pricing as I have found good deals at TCWC as well as better deals elsewhere.
Their auction is great for both collectors as well as someone like myself who wants to drink/​experience something new. It is a great place to get bottles you will not find elsewhere and explore new items… and at less than retail will charge. Plus you don’t need to deal with a «buyer’s premium» (additional cost of 18% or more on top of the purchase price) that most other auction houses charge. TCWC charges you exactly what you bid.
They do have events and specials they send via email. I actually like getting them often… I may show up at their location to take advantage of it.

I order wine online every month from various retailers and have it shipped to my home. I’ve never seen such an unprofessional packing job as what I received from The Chicago Wine Company. They packed 2 bottles of 375 ml dessert wine ($ 120 per bottle) into styrofoam wine containers for 750 ml size. The good companies that know how to properly handle fine wine would put some extra packing material (like bubble wrap) to prevent the smaller bottles from rattling around in the larger containers. Needless to say both bottles were damaged during delivery from the kindergarten quality packing job. If you need wine from the Chicago area, Hart Davis Hart is a class operation that knows how to handle fine wine.

I’m surprised these guys haven’t been reviewed yet. They are a wine auction house, possibly the largest in the US in terms of volume. You can usually find very good prices here on all sorts of wines. I use them for older vintages of higher end wines (mostly Bordeaux) and have scored some really good deals.
TCWC has some interesting direct purchase items (like futures), but I only go after the auctioned wines. They run the auctions monthly and post the wines that will be auctioned on their website at
. I have purchased wines many times and sometimes well under the Estimate that they provided in each respective Auction Catalogue. One piece of advice: don’t go for the biggees, like the ’82 First Growth Bordeaux because they can get expensive in a hurry. Instead, chase the slightly less sought/​less famous vintages (for example, many of the French ‘83s are drinking really well at the moment, and they are dramatically cheaper than the ‘82s). Also, if you’re willing take the plunge, you can often find majorly extreme wines here. I saw a ’49 Yquem go for $ 800 not so long ago; if you can find such a bottle on a wine list today, I suspect it would go for at least ten times that! I’m looking on their site now and see an ’83 Yquem for $ 400 a bottle, expensive, but a deal nonetheless (retail you might find it around $ 550 or so… at French Laundry, I’m guessing just under $ 2,000). Anyway, if you want a bottle for a special occasion, have time to plan ahead, and don’t want to pay through the nose at a restaurant (or even a wine store), TCWC is a good place to have a look.
The auction system works pretty well. Just send in a bid sheet. You can also sit in on the phone and listen to the bidding (and bid live if you like). I’ve never done that, so I don’t know how well it works. With submitted bids, I would guess I’ve successfully won my auctions 75% of the time. My bids have seldom exceeded the Estimates in the catalogues, and many times I purchased wines under the maximum bid I provided on my bid sheet. I will admit that I have wondered why I had won so many auctions, thinking that the whole thing could be rigged, but I’m convinced it’s legit, and I have been very happy with my purchases. It can get expensive though! Bid carefully, and expect to win a good percentage of the wines you are trying to buy.
I have had occasion to call TCWC many times (about listed wines, prices, billing, storage, shipping), and I have always received good service. First class operation. Once on their mailing list, your mailbox will be bombarded somewhat. I have had to filter their mailings as Junk Mail…
If you’re into wine, this is a really valuable source. They move a lot of wine and all types with a really great selection of older vintages. Additionally, they will store your wine for you free for a few months and then charge reasonably if you keep stuff there for an extended time. I have two mixed cases there now.
TCWC is great, with good product, process, and people. It is easy to get carried away and spend too much here, but you will be very pleased with these guys in all respects. Use them especially for wines that are hard to find or outrageously expensive locally. And have fun looking at their offerings.