LINCOLN PARK — You might not think a new bar would want to be described as "ignoble," but that's exactly the name Luke Fairbank has stamped on his first venture in Chicago.
Ignoble Wine Bar expects to open next month at 2417 N. Clybourn Ave. in the corner tavern previously occupied by Marshfield's Urban Grill.
"When I walked in and saw this awesome bar, I knew this was where I wanted to be," Fairbank said last week while preparing the place for business. "In my mind, I had pictured an old-school Chicago bar like this."
The name comes not from a desire to lower expectations, but in opposition to the so-called noble grapes, commonly said to be cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, chardonnay, riesling, sauvignon blanc and syrah.
Fairbank has set a course beyond those well-trodden wines and toward lesser-known, more humble grapes that are usually far less costly and can be just as tasty as their more well-regarded competitors. He refers to them as "ignoble" wines, quickly adding that's "not a wine term, more my term" for them.
"The last time I went out to a wine bar, I made it a point to count how many were cabernets, merlots or sangioveses, and over half of the red glass list had one of those three grapes in them, if not all of them," Fairbank said. "Why concentrate half your list on these three grapes? There are so many more interesting wines out there. And you actually pay less for it."
Fairbank said he's out to offer 20-25 different wines from around the world by the glass, and he hopes to set an average price of about $7, more in line with typical beer prices.
There, however, he's taking the opposite approach geographically, emphasizing the beers and spirits of the country as produced here in Chicago. Fairbank said he was looking to stock "wine from around the world and beer and liquor from around the corner." He's already partnered with Maplewood Brewery & Distillery, setting aside three or four taps for them, and plans to offer local favorites from Revolution, Lagunitas and Begyle as well, "all these guys who have amazing local beers."
The food will be French and Italian small plates, but with unique twists such as coq au vin made with jumbo chicken wings and arancini bolognese made from risotto stuffed with bolognese sauce, rolled in bread crumbs and fried, served with an aioli sauce. Again, prices will be set between $8 for bacon-wrapped dates and $13 for a dish of mussels.
Fairbank said he is determined not to impose pairings on people. "It's more an Italian way of thinking, but we really want you to discover what you like, drink what you like and eat what you like," he said.
He caught the wine bug while working earlier at Trattoria D.O.C. in Evanston, and has since traveled widely in Italy learning the lesser-known varietals, calling negroamaro "an amazing grape" and montepulciano "my favorite grape for the price." Along the way, while preparing to open, he's also been struck by a white pinot noir from South Africa.
"Those are the kinds of wine we really want to focus on," Fairbank said, "especially if it's going to be a noble grape like pinot noir."
Fairbank added, "We're really just trying to cultivate a list that gets people interested and gets a wide array of flavors, textures and tastes."
The aim is to create a humble corner bar that welcomes neighbors and local beer geeks, while also being an appealing destination for wine enthusiasts, whether novices just developing their palate or aficionados looking for something off the beaten path.
"Nowhere else in Chicago are you going to get this diverse of a wine list by the glass," Fairbank said.
Now he's just waiting for final approval on his liquor license to open in April, but as every Chicagoan knows the city often paraphrases Orson Welles to say: "You'll sell no wine before it's time."
