Joe's Wine Cellar Opening in late March or Early April at 2108 W. Division St.

Joe's Wine Cellar will open at 2108 W. Division St. (the former Division Street Cleaners space) in late March or early April 2012. The owner of the building, Joe Dalton, retired earlier this year and will live out his dream of owning a neighborhood wine shop. He plans to sell value-driven boutique wines (a portion of which are organic and biodynamically grown), craft beers and unique spirits like Prairie Organic Vodka.

He says it won't be a sit-down type of place, but more driven toward retail sales, individual tastings and occasional educational/group tasting events. There will be a handful of food items like French bread and local cheeses to compliment pours. Like the Lincoln Park Whole Foods, there will also be four tasting station machines with 1.5 oz,- half- and full-glass pours. Patrons can add value to a card, and then use it toward pours from the machine.

The interior is currently under construction and will undergo quite the face lift since it was Division Street Cleaners, which closed last summer. Dalton says they're using high-end finishes, wine bottle chandeliers, sustainable mahogany and new floor-to-ceiling windows that will open completely onto the Division Street sidewalk in the summertime, giving it a French market feel. The original brick walls and 1920s wood flooring will remain in tact.

As Division Street residents may know, it's incredibly difficult to get any kind of liquor license in this area with so many bars and restaurants selling booze already on the street. In order for the shop to receive a "tavern with package liquor" license, the Chicago Municipal Code must be changed. This hasn't happened yet, but Dalton says he has spoken with Alderman Waguespack and the appropriate community groups, and has their support... along with the extensive background checks, credit checks and other due diligence he had to undergo. The code change is currently in progress, and Dalton has no reason to believe it won't be approved.

We're still hoping or the best with Dee's Place, but in case it doesn't reopen at least the stretch of Division Street will still have some action.