Worth a Trip: Vino e Birra in La Grange

, 18 W. Burlington Ave., in La Grange couldn't have picked a better night to hold their grand opening in La Grange than at the in December. With the streets full of locals and out-of-towners alike, the new wine and craft beer store got a lot of attention.

"That night was unbelievable," said owner Sam Razzaq. "I never would have guessed we'd be that busy, but the place was packed all night."

Residents must have been impressed, because I was told I needed to check it out several times that night as I walked around taking pictures.

I finally got a chance to stop back in the other day and met Razzaq, who owns Vino e Birra with his business partner, Ron Khalaf. Vino e Birra, which translates to wine and beer (shock!) has a cool and cozy feel that is more boutique than liquor store. Racks and racks of wine line the walls alongside cases of fine craft beers.

"We specialize in small wine shops and hard to find wines," Razzaq said as I toured the space. "Lots of types that you wouldn't see in the grocery store."

The store currently stocks over 100 craft beers and about 200 varieties of wine—and they're still planning to increase the selection.

Don't know what to order? No problem. Vino e Birra holds regular free tasting events where they pick out a few special bottles to show off and their resident wine expert is on hand to offer suggestions for meal pairings and other wines you might like. If you know what you like already, they do special orders as well for hard to find wines.

Vino e Birra also sells wine and beer by the glass. Its location across from the La Grange Road Metra Station makes it a great place to swing by on your way home for a quick one. It's an idea Razzaq said Vino e Birra plans to expand on. They'd like to rent out the place next door as soon as this summer to expand into a wine bar and deli.

"I think we're a unique wine shop in La Grange," Razzaq said. "It's relaxed and we want to help you discover new things."

Editor's Note: Vino e Birra's new owners asked us to note that their liquor license does not allow them to sell beer by the glass, but that they regularly hold sampling events and that samples of certain products are available upon request.