PHOTOS: Paired Wine Opens, Offers Free Wine Tasting

Paired Wine Co. is officially open, and owners Joe Giannini and Tommy Spinosa are offering their own spin on how a liquor store should operate.

Located on the corner of North Halsted Street and West Buckingham Place, the duo opened the wine-centered store on Valentine’s Day after initially meeting with neighborhood officials in October.

Now the space sells hundreds of bottles of wine roughly between $8 and $20, much like the storefront’s former tenant Kafka Wines. But Giannini says they’ve made a few improvements at Paired.

Owners added a “splurge” table with wines priced upwards of $68, as well as free wine tasting events every Tuesday and Thursday from 5-8 p.m. That’s combined with an electronic machine at the front of the store where shoppers can pick a precise meal, only to have the computer tell them which wine to pair it with.

It’s all a part of Paired’s concept to pair—pun intended—wines with different foods, chocolates and cheeses. Giannini said the store will soon offer more types of liquor, including craft spirits from Koval Distillery and craft beers. 

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