Joe’s Wine Cellar

I went to return a bottle of wine I thought had clearly gone bad. I wasn’t necessarily looking for my money back. I just wanted them to recognize something was clearly off with the bottle. When I went in, I was made to feel like I was trying to cheat them out of getting a new bottle of wine. They kept on telling me «the bottle isn’t corked».
Maybe I was reading into the situation too much, but I felt that the folks working there were condescending towards me. I still ended up buying a bottle of Bordeaux. Bottom line, even thought I’ve bought many of bottles of wine from this place, the bottle of Bordeaux will be the last bottle I buy from Joe’s because of my experience tonight.

Not for me. That said, I’m old and an alcoholic, so I like to hide in dark corners with generous pours. The service was great and the wine was good as was the cheese, but I would never ever come back. Again: MUCH more personal preference than objective review. If you are the opposite of me (young and successful), you’ll LOVE it.

I have lived nearby for over three years and never knew this place existed!
So glad I found it, I like how they have the small pours to sample before you buy (for some varietals)
They have cheaper ones too from nice vineyards/​makers, along with special occasion reserves

The wine dispenser machines with the option to do a taste, half, or full glass are amazing! The staff is very helpful and friendly. We will definitely be back whenever in the area.

Love love love this place!!! Was in the city for a work meeting and was looking for a glass of wine and walked into here and the owner greeted us right away was super nice and helpful. Walked us through how to wine taste and talked to us about each wine. Made amazing suggestions! Ended up on the patio with a great bottle of wine with work friends! We enjoyed it so much we are not from around here but we will defiantly be back!

How can you complain about a place that offers regular free wine tastings, friendly service with excellent recommendations, and what equates to the slot machines of wine sampling (a wall of red/​white/​rose wines that you activate a card with money to sample at your leisure)? I love this place and only wish that there was one in Philadelphia!

I noticed Joe’s Wine Cellar at the end of summer last year and never got a chance to try it out until last weekend. It’s a great little wine shop that also sells wine by the glass along with a few cheese and charcuterie plates. They have some dog-​friendly patio seating right on Division, which is always a plus.
We didn’t buy any bottles, but we did order a cheese plate and had a couple of glasses of various wine. There isn’t really any waiter service, you order at the register in the back of the shop. They do bring out the food to your table though. The way wine tasting works is, you have to buy a special card with a minimum of $ 25 on it. From that point, you grab a wine glass, insert your card in the machine that matches up with the wine you’re interested in, and you press a button for a tasting, half a glass, or full glass. The total gets deducted from your card and if you don’t use it all in one trip, you can save it for next time or apply the remainder to a bottle purchase.
All this would be even better if one of the employees bothered to address you as you come in and asked if you’re familiar with the system. If you’re not, don’t worry, as there will be a rude female employee more than happy to make you feel like a burden while she explains the system to you!
If I recall correctly, tasting prices started at around $ 2.75, but that didn’t really get you much. You don’t get cheated by ordering a half vs a full glass as the price is exactly doubled for the latter. I do wish there was some customization available with the food options or that they just sold cheese, meats, etc. separately allowing you to «build» your own plate.
This would be a 4 star review if the woman who worked here wasn’t so off-​putting and actually cared about customers/​was helpful. But never one to let someone stop me from enjoying a glass of wine, we will be back again. Especially since we have some $ left on our card!

A great neighborhood wine shop on Division Street in Wicker Park. Joe and the staff are very helpful and and know a lot about wine and they are not snobby or pretentious about it. Excellent selection of wine –many of which you can’t find in the supermarket wine section. The wine station where you can sample wines for a reasonable cost is another thing that sets them apart from other wine stores. They also have spirits, beer and food plates to accompany the wine. Nice patio. Highly recommend a visit if you are in the area.

Me and My Bestie was out enjoying a beautiful day in the Chi. We decide to stop in and get a nice cold glass of wine and sit back and enjoy ourselves.
When we walked in their was no one to greet us. Both employees were behind the counter chatting up with other people. I had to say excuse me can we get some help.
After the woman comes to help which she is no help at all to us. Her knowledge with the wine was the worst. She seem to not know a thing about the wines or what to offer to us for tasting. It was such a sad situation because this is a very beautiful atmosphere to chill with a friend or even for a date night.
O well sorry we had to excuse ourselves and left due to a lack of knowledge and not alot of wine selections for a nice cold glass of sweet wines

I came here for a «wine tasting» one night with my girlfriend. When we got in, we had to walk around for about 5 minutes before someone acknowledged our presence.
As it turns out, the wine tasting was just a lady with two wine bottles offering a little plastic thimble of wine. I’ve seen the same kind of thing at the supermarket, but they don’t advertise it as a «wine tasting.»
Overall this place is snobby and disappointing.

Can I just say that I love this little spot! It’s nestled between Nando’s and Folklore, which is ideal. My husband and I really enjoyed the wine offerings they had, the ambiance and Jen Crider. The manager, Jen (or maybe owner, I’m not sure) is delightful and down to earth. She took great care of us as she made sure our wine was fresh and that we understood how everything goes at Joe’s. It’s cute, comfortable and the Petit Syrah was all I could want it to be. Can’t wait for my next visit!

Cool place right down the steer from my workplace. I love that you can sample wine. I originally came in to buy a co-​worker a birthday gift. He’s somewhat of a wine connoisseur and is pretty tough to impress. The lady at the counter helped me pick out a red and my co worker loved it. Her suggestion hit it out of the park. Score!

The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. After discussing wine for 10 minutes, I learned a lot, got a free sample, and was confident in my choice of wine for the evening. There are a lot of other options as well.

Best invention ever: wine «vending machines» at $ 2 a taste? I’m so in love. I especially appreciate that half the wines on deck are very affordable. My typical spend is $ 20 for 7 – 10 tastes and another $ 30 for a couple bottles of wine. Add some cheese and prosciutto and you’ve hit all major food groups.

This place is great! A friend and I had reservations at a nearby restaurant, and the table wasn’t ready yet, so they recommended going to Joe’s for a glass of wine while we wait. They have a unique selection of wine for sale, as well as an amazing tasting system. We each enjoyed a glass of wine and spoke with Joe, who was a genuine, down to earth guy. No pretentious attitudes here! I’ll definitely be back!

My friend introduced me to Joe’s this past Saturday and I was so happy to have been inducted into this amazing gem. Joe’s is like a Dave & Busters for wine drinkers. They have 20 wines available for taste at all times — when we went, 8 of them were white and 12 were red. Basically you get this card (very D&B-esque) and tell them how much money you want to put on it. I suggest starting with $ 20. Then you basically get to walk around with your glass and use your card to dispense wine in 3 size options: taste, half glass, or full glass.
The prices vary depending on the wine, and the nice thing is you’re able to sample some very nice bottles of wine without committing to buying them. It’s rare to be able to sample a 2005 Brunello, for example, without having to buy the bottle first. All the bottles are available for sale if you like what you try, and there are hundreds of other wines for sale as well. This is a great place to come for a pre or post dinner drink, or just have a drink in the afternoon on a random Saturday. The staff is very friendly and can answer any question you have. I’ll definitely be back soon!

This is by far the most enjoyable place in the neighborhood (Wicker Park) to buy beer or wine. Their staff are super laid-​back and comfortable, yet knowledgeable. As a neighbor, I really enjoy how often they have beer and wine tastings of awesome products from different places throughout the world. Also have a small food selection especially nice cheeses which is great to complement your wine if you want to stay and enjoy a glass on the patio or inside in the winter.
1 out of 2 times I go in the evening there is a tasting and I learn something new about wines from Europe or South America. Highly recommend!

If you want a great surprise in a wine store you have found it! This is the most unique wine store in the city. Not only can you find a great selection of wines, but you can taste them too! It is a very well appointed store.
You get two for one! It’s a wine store and wine bar with a beautiful patio! You also get a menu of cheese, Pâté, fresh french bread, olives, etc.
On top of all this you get Joe, and his staff to help you along with a sixteen bottle tasting station so you can taste before you buy. You can also purchase craft liquors and beers. You can’t get better than this!
Tell them Phil sent you.

Now, I actually caution people about trying a wine vending machine for the first time…
GENIUS. A wine vending machine. Just roll it over in your brain for a moment. It’s similar to how I’ve always wished and dreamed and hoped for a fountain soda machine in my home. A dream! A dream of a thousand dreams!
Anyway, this one has wine. What’s better than soda from a fountain? Wine from a wine machine. At Joe’s Wine Cellar.
My group of 5 gals were looking for a little something to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon (Sunday park plans, thwarted… and all) and found ourselves over at Joe’s Wine Cellar. The girls greeted us warmly, and we had the whole communal table to ourselves. Things were starting out quite lovely.
And they got better.
Here’s how it works if you wish to stay awhile:
1. Purchase a prepaid card from the register
2. Enjoy the wine vending machines at your leisure.
3. Enjoy as much wine tastes, halves or full glasses as your heart desires!
4. Marvel at how you want a wine vending machine.
5. Buy some wine.
You can enjoy quantities: taste, half, full. I liked these options a lot because I could try some really wonderful wines without fully committing, and also try wines before I bought them. Also you can indulge in some pricier wines by the glass… ooo lala. For $ 30 I spent the afternoon drinking leisurely with friends, no pressure from staff, and a lovely experience.
The staff was incredible. They also host private parties!
Wines from all over the world, ready for me to sip and chat with my friends on a rainy afternoon? Sold. This place is a winner. Also can just pop by for a bottle of wine, some artisan spirits or build-​your-​own craft beer 6-​packs. Legit.
Also, «wine vending machine» may not be the adequate term for this machine, but it is all I can come up with. Do you have a better term? Please tell me! I want one for my wedding. It’s actually maybe ALL I want for my wedding.

Welcome to Division Street, Joe’s Wine Cellar. I have been anticipating your opening and my first visit to your establishment did not disappoint.
My brother’s name is Joe and he knows jack crap about wine. Luckily, the namesake of this wine shop, Joe, does know his vino. As my fiancé and I stood admiring the state of the art «Tasting Station» Joe came by and explained the ropes. Basically, the Tasting Station is a wine vending machine. The station contains multiple bottles of wine which allow you to sample by the ounce, ½ pour or full pour. We loaded a dollar amount at the register to what looks like a credit card. You insert the card into the station you want to taste, hold your glass underneath the spout, and select the sample you want to try. We sampled several wines by the ounce which varied in price from $ 1.70 to $ 2.20. It was a very cool and unique experience.
The shop itself is cute, clean, and cozy. Their wine selection is extensive and I was pleasantly surprised to see that they also have a good selection of craft beers in the back. The front area features a sitting area with a large table so it has wine bar potential but I can see it filling up quickly so scout a seat upon entering if you plan to stay.
All in all, a great addition to the neighborhood. I am looking forward to see how the events and wine of the month club shape up to be like. We were also informed that the shop would soon stock an assortment of cheeses and baguettes.