I am Amy Garman, owner of the South Loop Wine Cellar. I got the idea to open a wine shop while I was in graduate school at Arizona State University. I spent my summers in southern California and often visited a local wine shop there. I fell in love with the warm festive atmosphere and while I was attending school for a very different trade, I often dreamed of opening my very own wine shop someday.

Living and working in the South Loop for the past 3 years has been a wonderful adventure, but as anyone who has lived there for more than the past 6 months knows, it needed something. So, one hot summer night, having struck out again in my search for a good bottle of wine on my way to the movie in the park, the South Loop Wine Cellar was born.

Why the South Loop? After talking with friends and neighbors, I have learned that the South Loop supports the South Loop. While Chicago is a large city, I have found the same message here that I did in the small town where I grew up: SUPPORT LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS. Chicago neighborhoods, especially the South Loop, support local businesses in order to maintain and develop character. I have worked tirelessly to create a store with a warm festive atmosphere that embodies the essence and character of the historic South Loop.