Join us for a very special Tuesday evening with our talented friends at Siege Food Photo.

Chef Melissa Tantillo is the executive pastry chef at Nakorn Kitchen in Evanston, IL. She is the co-founder of Trivium Dining, a pop-up culinary experience hosted throughout various Midwest venues, as well as the owner of Siege Food Photo, a 2023 Pink Lady Food Photo Finalist. Her culinary delights are enjoyed all over the midwest from Chicago to Milwaukee and beyond.

For the menu, expect the winter hygge warmth we are all seeking: sticky toffee pudding, scottish shortbread, butterscotch, chocolate, cinnamon frangipane, and more.

Five special courses paired with five special pours, curated by yours truly here at TC Wine.

On Menu:

Hello Darling
Scottish Shortbread
Chamomile Caramel
Chocolate
Sea salt
🥃 Pairing: @arranwhisky Sauternes Cask Finish

Sticky Toffee Pudding
Sticky Toffee Cake
Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce
Brown sugar whipped cream
🥃 pairing: @mctavishspirits Legacy Series Bourbon “Hope & Honor”

You Asked For It
Dark Vegan Chocolate Cake
Chocolate spruce ganache
Candied Almonds
Candied Orange Slice
🥃 pairing: The Whistler O’Haras Stout Finish Irish Whisky

Cold Snap
Vanilla bean, citrus, hint of cinnamon panna cotta
Cranberry & Port Granita
🍷pairing: Pasquale Pelissero “Muffato” Late Harvest Muscat

Pithivier
Puff pastry
Frangipane
Apricot and almond creme anglaise
🍷Pairing: Fattoria Montellori Vin Santo Della Signora

Tickets are $50/person and include five desserts and pairings. Must be 21+ to attend.

Space is limited to 15 seats. Pre-purchase only.

Purchase your tickets here today.

Join us for our first Thursday tasting of the year, an exploration of red blends to warm your cold winter bones! California has long produced gorgeous big, bold, blended wines from Napa, to Sonoma, to the central coast. Cabernet, petite syrah, merlot, zinfandel - we will have a wee bit of each this evening.

Tasting:

Giornata Il Campo Rosso

Stolpman Vineyards Maria

Three Wine Company Old Vines Field Blend

Peachy Canyon Incredible Red

MCV 1105

$18/person. No reservations needed.

As always, we taste at 6pm!

Join us for a special Sunday open on December 22nd for the Thelma Carol Christmas Cocktail Party!

A very festive, vintage, and elegant daytime soiree shop-side, this Sunday afternoon will feature special pre-prohibition & midcentury cocktails, wine pours, and perhaps a few complimentary canapés.

We will be spinning Christmas LPs, decked out in our festive cocktail attire. Plus, we will be offering 5% off all retail purchases day-of for all you last minute gifters!

Festivities kick off at 2pm. Vintage cocktail dress is highly encouraged.

Menu:

Stinger - Cognac, creme de menthe

Christmas Gimlet - gin, GLD cranberry, lime, rosemary

White Sconnie - GLD vodka & coffee, cream

Hiver Mai Tai - rum, pear liqueur, lime, orgeat

Penicillin - blended scotch, ginger, lemon, honey, Laphroaig float

Rob Roy - single malt, vermouth, bitters, brandied cherry

Just in the knick of time for the holiday, join us for our annual Big Reds for Gifts and Collectors tasting!

Whether you need to impress a boss, a discerning parent-in-law, a special someone, or just want to build up that bad-ass collection, here’s your chance to taste some powerful and pricey reds from all over.

Save an automatic 10% on wine purchases over $100 night of! 🎁 Prices range from $50-$90/btl.

Cantina Luigi Pira Barolo Margheria 2020

Tiberini Vigneto Fossatone Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva 2015

Don Jacobo Rioja Gran Reserva 2015

Chateau Brown Pessac-Leognan 2018

Gallica Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2019

Foxen Tinaquaic Cabernet Franc 2019

$27/person. No reservations needed!

At last, our annual sparkling wine tasting of the holiday season has arrived! Join us tonight for a wide array of beautiful bubbles, from Cava to Champagne. We will hop around the winemaking world and enjoy these, our picks of sparklers for the holiday season.

On deck:

Soter Estate Brut

Clover Hill NV Brut

Ferghettina Franciacorta

Pere Mata Cava Cupada Brut Nature N° 27

Laurent-Perrier brut Rose

Tre Monti Doppio Rosso Barbera Frizzante

. . . . .

$20/person. No reservations needed.

The 400 Decisions of the Mezcalero (and chocolate)...
People often wonder what it is that makes heritage agave spirits taste so unique. And the truth is, it’s not one thing — it’s everything. When you use pre-industrial processes to convert agave into alcohol, it’s not only difficult to obtain the exact same result from one batch to the next — it’s not even the objective. We’ll explore that idea on Friday, December 6, when Lou Bank from SACRED walks us through three expressions of Tobala made by Victor Ramos in Miahutalan, Oaxaca. The tasting will consist of three Tobala expressions made at three different points in time, and then stored two different ways, so … six small pours. Plus, there will be handmade chocolate from Mexican cacao, because Lou loves the biodiversity of chocolate.

Also, please join us the following afternoon for a casual and free chocolate tasting. Lou will sampling a variety of small batch chocolates and discussing his love for chocolate, comic books, agave, and non-profit work. This will be the perfect chance for a one-on-one conversation and to get to know Lou a bit more.

As usual, a portion of the ticket sales goes directly to SACRED Agave, Lou's non-profit helping local Mexican communities build everything from libraries to schools.

Tickets are $40/person and include mezcal pours and chocolate pairing. Must be 21+ to attend.

Purchase your tickets here today!

Join us for our first Thursday tasting of December with McCrum Imports, as we explore the magic of Italian amari and vermouth.

Vermouth, widely considered as a simple cocktail ingredient, is so much more than a mere addition. Spicy, sweet, herbaceous, delectable - vermouth is all these things and more. Amaro - the Italian liqueur that holds much history and so much complexity, is the queen of after-dinner pours. It is well known how well loved these two drams are here at Thelma Carol Wine and we cannot wait to share this love with you.

List to come soon!

$18/person. No reservations needed.

Join us for a first in a series…Single Malt School! For this first event we’ll be exploring the impact of barrel finishing. Many distilleries have used sherry, dry and sweet wines, and other spirits barrels to great effect, creating complex flavors and aromas that could not be possible with the rather ubiquitous ex-bourbon cask.

$25/person. Tickets are to be found here. Spirits Co-op members enjoy free entry into this event as the inaugural tasting (more info on the Co-op can be found here.)

Proposed lineup:

GlenAllachie 10yr Rye Cask

GlenAllachie 15yr PX sherry

Kilchoman Small Batch Sauternes

Penderyn Madeira Finish

One week out from the Kilt’s favourite holiday, join us at Thelma Carol for special pre-holiday tasting featuring our picks for your Thanksgiving feast! Reds, whites, bubbles - we will have them all. 5% off orders the night of, stock up for your family and loved ones!

Proposed list:

Lucien Albrecht Grand Cru Pinot Gris

Dr. Constantin Frank Dry Riesling

Kutna Hora Cabernet Blanc

Kir-Yianni Akakies Sparkling Rose

Altare Dolcetto

Domaine de la Cote de Berne Moulin-A-Vent

Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara Pinot Noir

$20/person. No reservations needed.

Just in knick of time for the holiday, join us for our annual Big Reds for Gifts and Collectors tasting!

Whether you need to impress a boss, a discerning parent-in-law, a special someone, or just want to build up that bad-ass collection, here’s your chance to taste some powerful and pricey reds from all over.

Cabernet, Syrah, Sangiovese, Super Tuscans, and more. $26/person. No reservations required. Save an automatic 10% on wine purchases over $100 night of! 🎁

List to come soon.

Join us in November for our last large-scale tasting of the year: L'Art du Vin, an evening with the wines of France. 

We will explore over 20 wines, representing every corner of this historical and world-renowned wine making country. We will have offerings from ALL the winemaking regions of France; Alsace, Armagnac and Cognac, Beaujolais and Lyonnais, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Corsica, Jura, Languedoc, Lorraine, Poitou-Charentes, Provence, Roussillon, Savoie and Bugey, South-West, Loire Valley, and the Rhône Valley. From the elegant & finessed to the robust & spicy, your palette will take a phenomenal journey through these unique and expressive regions. 

Event Details:

Saturday, November 16th

5pm to 8pm

$70/person, must be 21+ to attend. Small bites included!

This is our yearly pre-holiday tasting, where you can explore & taste to find that perfect holiday gift for loved ones. 10% retail purchases the night-of only. 

Purchase your tickets here!

Join us as we venture to the northwest of the states, to the beautiful, wood-lined and mountainous terroir of Washington. Old world varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Riesling, Chardonnay - all of these grapes grow perfectly in this cooler dynamic climate. Come taste through 5 wines, for a sampling of this unique and refined American winemaking region.

$20/person. No reservations needed.

On deck…

Boomtown by Dusted Valley Pinot Gris

Jaine Ravenscliff Vineyard Single Vineyard Wahluke Slope Rose

Corvidae Lenore Syrah

Barnard Griffin Merlot Columbia Valley

Andrew Will Involuntary Commitment

Januik Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley

Join us for our first ever Shop Local Maker’s Market! Featuring handmade jewellery, soap, chocolate, and more; this holiday season shop local and beat the rush.

We’ll be pouring mimosas and bellinis at the bar, along with a nice lineup of fun sparkling wines by the glass.

No cost entry, no reservations needed.

Harvest has come and gone; the vine leaves in the Veneto are turning a brash shade of red, and the winemakers are scuttling about to make sure all Amarone, Valpolicella, and Soave is bubbling into future deliciousness.

Tonight we take you on a journey to northern Italian with the singular wines of Cantina Zeni. One could say Zeni has developed a well-established reputation in the region, first appearing in 1870 as goods merchants (including wine), and continuing the traditions of estate winemaking through to the present. An historic, if not iconic, family.

Tasting:

Soave Classico

“Mr. Lake” Bardolino

Valpolicella

Valpolicella Ripasso

Amarone Classico

$19/person. No reservations needed.

This event is sold out!

Join us for our third Balkan Wine Takeover featuring local Tambura band, T.S Pivari!

This is a fantastic & special evening full of love, music, and of course… wine. The bar will offer the delicious expressions from Croatia, Georgia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Serbia.

T.S Pivari is Milwaukee's newest Tambura band, formed by a group of friends that shared a deep love of tamburica music. They play songs from Croatia, Serbia, and the Balkans. Band Members include Andy Tate, John Tate, Dan Perchinsky, Luke Petrovich, & Josh Pribanic.

Tickets are $15/person - grab yours today as this event is popular and space is limited in our wee shop!

The veil shall wane, and here at Thelma Carol we are bringing Franc Fest back from the dead.

Join us on All Hallow’s Eve for a special mini wine festival, where we will pour 10 different Cabernet Francs to celebrate this special evening of the year. Franc Fest was our first large-scale tasting at TC, and it was a huge, delicious success. We are thrilled to bring a wee version of that evening on Thursday, October 31st.

$25/person, 10 pours. 6pm to 8pm.

On deck:

Thibaud Boudignon Rose de Loire (FR)

Ampelaia Cab Franc (IT)

Bernard Baudry Chinon “Les Granges” (FR)

Domaine les Pins "Les Rochettes" Bourgueil (FR)

Sontacchi Kitokret Cabernet Franc (Croatia)

Division Wine Co. Gamine Cab Franc (OR)

Barboursville Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Franc (Virginia)

Lapostolle Cabernet Franc Cuvee Alexandre Apalta (Chile)

Bodega Garzon Cabernet Franc Reserva (Uruguay)

Owen Roe Rosa Mystica (WA)

Ah, to be strolling the ancient streets of Madrid as the leaves turn and the air cools…

Join us this evening for a tour of Spanish wines, perfect pairings for the cooler weather ahead. We will taste through gorgeous offerings of this, one of our favourite wine producing countries. List to come soon!

Avinyo Cava Brut Rosado

Muradella Monterrei bianco

Bodegas Lavia “Lavia” Bullas Monastrell

Pedro Gonzalez Prieto Pecudo

Buil & Gine Priorat “Giné Giné”

Pecina Rioja 2014 Reserva

$18/person. No reservations needed.

With the changing colours, the pumpkins, and the general Autumnal goings-on, we’re welcoming October with Orange wines!

What is orange wine? Well, the combination of long contact of the pressed juice with the grape skins, plus a little oxygen over the course of months will make a white wine into an orange wine.

No oranges were harmed in the making of these wines!

So what do they taste like? Flavor profiles are so different than any other type of wine that we love to let the wines talk for themselves but one will often find notes of salted apricot, mirabelle plum, herbs, blood orange, and red fruits.

Lineup:

Rimbert Vin Orange

Meinklang Mulatschak

Ferlani “Macerato Frizzante”

Conestible della Staffa “Gimo”

Azimut “Brisat”

$18/person. No reservations needed.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot. These are the five red Bordeaux varietals and they are among the world’s best known grapes. But rather than focus on them in their place of origin, we are taking you to the Balkans yet again to explore what winemakers there do with these iconic grapes.

Please join us for a night with Jess and Neil from Triglav for a truly unique tasting.

On deck:

Bolfan Wines - Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (Zagorje, Croatia)

Derenda - Merlot 2015 (Kras, Slovenia)

Pap Wines - Bazalt 2019 (Badacsony, Hungary)

Bordon Wines - Bon D'or 2018 (Istria, Slovenia)

Pasji Rep  - Jebatschin 2021 (Vipava Valley, Slovenia)

Tilia Estate - Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot 2022 (Vipava Valley, Slovenia)

$18/person. No reservations needed.

Venture south of the equator for our third large-scale tasting of the year, September in the Southern Hemisphere. This evening we explore wines from the mountainous airs of Argentina and Chile, the warm terroirs of South Africa, the sea-side expressions of New Zealand, and the luscious vines of Australia. This is the perfect tasting for all wine palates; from sauvignon blanc to pinot noir to cabernet franc to bubbles to chenin blanc and more.

20+ pours and small bites included. Tickets are $50/person and pre-purchase only, as space is limited!

Proposed List:

Table 1

Wildman Astro Buny Pet Nat

Jansz Brut Rose, Tasmania

Auntsfield Sparkling Muscat Brut, New Zealand

Pikes Traditionale Clare Valley Riesling, Australia

Bodega Garzon Reserve Pinot Noir Rose, Uruguay

Burn Cottage Moonlight Race Central Otago, New Zealand

Seppeltsfield Barossa Grenache, Australia

Yalumba Paradox Shiraz, Australia

Penalolan Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile

De Martino “Las Cruces” Malbec + Carmenere, Valle del Cachapoal Chile

Table 2 - South Africa

Kumusha Chenin Blanc

Jasper Raats Concrete and Clay Chardonnay

Benguela Cove Sauvignon Blanc

Olifantsberg Grenache Noir

Olifantsberg Carignan

Longridge Pinotage

Longridge Skebanga

Table 3

Alma 4 "Almacita" Pinot Noir Brut Rose, Argentina

Dawn Chorus Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand

Unico Zelo “Jasper and Jade” Fiano, South Australia

Fallabrino Tannat, Canelones, Uruguay

Passionate Wines "Piefranc," Cabernet Franc, Argentina

Zorzal "Gran Terroir" Malbec, Argentina

Purchase your tickets here today.

There’s never a bad time for bubbles! Join us for a night of unique sparkling wines from across the globe.

Jean-Baptiste Adam Cremant Rose

Champagne Louis Nicaise Brut Reserve

Domaine Mosny Montluis sur Loire "Prestance" Brut

Malabaila Spumante Brut "Pas Dose"

Strauch Sektmanufaktur Vieilles Vignes Extra Brut

Domaine Lelievre Leucqois Methode Traditional

$18/person. No reservations needed.

Italy’s Puglia (Apulia in Italian, the heel of the boot!) is home to some of the country’s most dynamic yet underrated wines. A diverse terrain of seaside and mountains, the region benefits from volcanic soils that lend a unique structure to the wines.

Please join us for a very special once-a-year tasting with Cantele’s owner.

2023 Chardonnay

2023 Verdeca

2023 Primitivo

2019 Salice Salentino Riserva

2023 Susamaniello Puglia

$16/person. No reservations needed.

Yes, we all know Malbec from Argentina, and there’s certainly a place on our tables and in our glasses for those tasty wines. However, let’s focus on the origin story of Malbec tonight. We’d like to show you how the grape performs under the tutelage of Georges Vigouroux in the Cahors region. Located just below Bordeaux, Cahors has specialised in Malbec for hundreds of years. In fact, as the Bordelaise slowly replaced Malbec with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in 1950s, Cahors is now one of the remaining strong-holds for this illustrious grape.

We are please to present the wines of Vigouroux:

GOULEYANT SAUVIGNON BLANC

CHATEAU HAUT SERRE LUCTER Malbec

CH.DE MERCUS CUVEE LES EVEQUES Malbec

CHATEAU HAUT SERRE CUVEE GEORGE Malbec

CHATEAU DE MERCUS 6666 Malbec

$18/person. No reservations needed.

Attention all Japanese whisky lovers! Please come out and taste through some unique and small production malts from emerging distilleries. We’ll have the importing company on hand to walk you through and answer any questions you may have about the history, locations, and processes of these beautiful whiskies.

Also, just in case you need more convincing to join us, we will be doing a raffle giveaway for a free bottle of Hakata 10yr Sherry Finish!

The lineup:

Ohishi 8yr

Hakata 10yr

Ikikko 8yr

Fukano Select

Fukano Blonde

$18/person. No reservations needed.

No other single company has so seamlessly stitched together as wide an array of spirits and wine-based mixers as Haus Alpenz. Tonight we enter the menagerie of this wonderful company, and I warn you…it’s gonna be epic.

Lead by HA rep Jake Parrot, this will be the best tasting this year for a truly unique and superbly made lineup of items; from esoteric cocktail ingredients to everyday favourites, gear up your Autumnal bar cart as we taste through a veritable labyrinth of bottles.

A short list of notable potables…

Comoz Vermouth

Bonal Gentian

Cocchi Americano Rosa

Hayman's Old Tom Gin

Blume Marillen Eau de Vie

R&W Orchard Apricot

Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur

Sfumato Rababaro

$18/person. No reservations needed.