by Jill Barth
With more than 2.6 million residents, Chicago is big enough to attract the world’s attention yet small enough to foster community. It also has just the right amount of attitude, according to local sommelier Derrick C. Westbrook, who notes that Chicago is neither too fast-paced nor overly focused on trends, putting a premium on authenticity.
Here are some of the wine industry professionals who bring the flavors of the world to this proud city.
Brian Duncan began his career as a wine buyer and sommelier in 1996. Frequent travels to California and New York exposed him to regional preferences, as he noticed that West Coast selections dominated in California while European wines prevailed in New York. Chicagoans, for their part, are a well-traveled and sophisticated audience with curious palates, in Duncan’s experience, allowing for a diverse and high-quality wine selection.
“Here we have the freedom to present everything from the classics to the exotic as long as we deliver on quality,” he says. Duncan notes that local distributors and importers are well connected to both international and domestic sources, supplying wine for a dining scene that’s “lavishly gifted with uniquely talented chefs and wine professionals.”
Holding a WSET Diploma and certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers, Todd Behrend has over 25 years of experience in hospitality, retail, and international travel. Though he’s been all over, Behrend has a fondness for Spain, which he has visited more than 25 times since 2000 to gain extensive knowledge of its wine regions.
“Chicago is an incredible city with opportunities for sommeliers,” says Behrend, thanks to its generous and talented professional wine community. In his current role as sommelier at Tre Dita, Behrend credits wine director Kathleen “Kat” Hawkins for her deep knowledge of producers from around the world as well as her business savvy. “She makes bold, fearless, successful decisions regarding placements at both entry-level and premium price points,” he says. “Our tremendous wine sales reflect her acumen and expertise.”
Kathleen “Kat” Hawkins is wine director at Miru, Tre Dita, and the St. Regis Bar, all housed within the new St. Regis Chicago. A Detroit native, she held several restaurant management positions in her home city, including general manager and beverage director at the highly respected Wright & Company for more than four years. She moved to Chicago in 2018, joining Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises to curate the wine list at Shaw’s Crab House. Before accepting her current role, she also served as wine director at RPM Steak, a prominent Chicago steakhouse known for its vast selection of over 1,300 rare wines.
A Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers and a Certified Specialist of Wine and Spirits through the Society of Wine Educators, Hawkins was named one of “America’s Best New Sommeliers” by Wine & Spirits Magazine in 2019, and she recently participated as a judge in the Sommeliers Choice Awards.
Jonas Bittencourt brings over a decade of industry experience to his current role in Chicago’s vibrant dining scene. Starting in New York City, Bittencourt worked his way up from waiter to wine director. His tenure at establishments like Estiatorio Milos under wine director Michael Coll and Racines, where he was guided by the mentorship of Master Sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier, allowed him to hone his expertise. Bittencourt’s move to Chicago in 2020 marked a new chapter; today he serves as the general manager and wine director at John’s Food and Wine.
“The wine community in Chicago is not only diverse, but it is also far kinder and more uplifting; some of the most influential mentors, friends, and peers I’ve come across in my career have been here,” says Bittencourt. Known for his ability to connect with customers as well as his extensive wine knowledge, he has a reputation for fostering a sense of exploration. “Chicagoans are curious and open-minded, which helps wine nerds like me take the opportunity to showcase some lesser-known grapes, wine regions, and vignerons,” he says.
Sepia and PROXI wine director Alex Ring has built his wine programs around artisanal winemakers, offering a global selection that spans from comfort labels to unique finds. At PROXI in particular, he showcases wines created and/or distributed by women, which represent over 90% of the list. Earning him the Michelin Sommelier of the Year award in 2023, this innovative, inclusive approach encourages guests to try new things.
Supporting small businesses and responsible farming practices underpins Ring’s work, as does a sense of community. He notes that Chicago’s wine scene is founded on a supportive network of professionals helping to run everything from small retail shops to Michelin-starred restaurants to natural wine bars. “When I have out-of-town guests at my restaurants ask for other spots to check out, I have a huge list of places to send them where I’m confident they’ll get stellar service and a great bottle of wine,” says Ring.
At El Che, wine director Alex Cuper has dedicated his list exclusively to South American wines, including Malbec and other varieties from Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. At Brasero, where he is also wine director, he takes a fresh and playful approach: The list of 100 bottles, all priced under $100, focuses on low-intervention wines from emerging winemakers in both South and Central America.
Cuper says Chicago has always been a top wine city as the home of the classic American steakhouse. But “fast-forward to the current day: While the steakhouse is far from extinct, there is a lot of innovation and exploration happening in the Chicago food and beverage scene, and with that comes the experimentation and exploration of new wine,” he says. He points out restaurants like Galit and Nettare, which showcase both lesser-known winegrowing areas and genuine Midwestern hospitality.
Craig Perman has dedicated his career to food and beverage, beginning as a morning host at a hotel restaurant in Portland, Oregon. His passion for wine has taken him to hundreds of estates in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and beyond. Over the years, he has gained extensive experience both off-premise and on-premise, the latter through positions at such notable establishments as Alinea, Blackbird, and Avec. In 2007, he founded Perman Wine Selections in the West Loop, relocating it to the Near North neighborhood in 2018. He is also a co-owner of Le Midi, a Eurocentric wine bar and retailer in the Wicker Park neighborhood. “My customers are incredibly knowledgeable and thirsty for all the stories and details on each wine,” he says, adding that they’re also “without the snobbery” that is sometimes associated with the wine world. Additionally, Perman offers guided trips to prominent wine regions worldwide through his company, Local Flavor Travel.
For Perman, Chicago is a great city for wine because locals approach it with the same excitement as they do beer and cocktails. “Chicago is a work hard/play hard–type city, and we are passionate consumers of all adult beverages,” he says. “We are down-to-earth people, grateful to live in the city we do and curious to discover all that tastes good!”
As director of beverage operations renowned hospitality company Levy Restaurants, Rachael Lowe oversees the beverage programs across a portfolio of restaurants, sports venues, and entertainment facilities. Lowe, who has also worked at Bouchon in Yountville, California, and Michelin-starred Chicago restaurants Naha and Brindille, says that the local dining scene is supported by outstanding distributors who host educational events and constantly work to expose beverage professionals to new wines, emerging regions, and developing trends. “Sustainability and minority- and women-owned products are also at the forefront in our community, which is important and great to see,” she adds.
Lowe has garnered widespread recognition for her exceptional contributions to the industry and her profound knowledge of the beverage world. She earned the Advanced Sommelier degree from the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2009 with a top score, securing the prestigious Rudd Scholarship. She has also received such accolades as the 2010 Jean Banchet Top Sommelier award and the 2011 StarChefs Rising Star Sommelier title, and she was named among Food & Wine’s “Sommeliers of the Year” in 2016. “In Chicago, the passion is palpable, and consumers are more and more interested in trying wines that are out of the box and potentially a little uncomfortable for them,” says Lowe. “It is really fun to be able to open the eyes of someone to a varietal that they have never tried before.”
Derrick C. Westbrook, a nationally recognized sommelier, connects the wine world to the world of arts and culture. Before turning 30, Westbrook became the cellar manager of the Alinea Group’s NEXT restaurant and the beverage director of Michelin-starred restaurant Elizabeth. Today, he hosts and produces interactive events in the wine, spirits, music, and entertainment spaces, with clients like Hilton, Chanel, and X.
“Chicago is the only city that isn’t moved by the ephemeral,” says Westbrook. “The city’s architecture was designed to last and tells a story. Our wine and food scene is just the same. We have the best parts of every other major American wine city while being all our own.” In 2018, Wine Enthusiast named him a 40 Under 40 Tastemaker, making him the first African American wine professional to grace its cover.
Driven by a love of people and a passion for wine, Westbrook continues to break barriers by hosting dinners and experiential wine tastings. His signature event series, Samples & Samples, explores the relationship between wine and music, whether he’s pairing bottles and songs from the same year or conducting tasting sessions while local DJs spin. Touring nationally, the series has sold out multiple shows.