Ever heard of Landhaus Mayer Grüner Veltliner, 2022 from Niederösterreich, Austria? How about a Yalumba Bush Vine Grenache “Samuel’s Collection,” 2022 from Barossa Valley, Australia? Or what about Brooks Amycas White Blend, 2024 from Willamette Valley, Oregon? They’re all hand selected gems from artisan winemakers across the globe, at one point, available for sale at a unique brick and mortar in Evanston.

Few know the wine scene better than Diana Hamann, owner of The Wine Goddess in the heart of Evanston’s Main-Dempster mile on Main Street.

“We are a retailer of fine wine. We also sell artisan spirits, craft beers and ciders,” shared Diana as she gave us a tour around her shop which promises a fresh, felicitous take on the grape and its noblest derivative: WINE! “We’re also a wine bar. So, anytime that we are open, people can come in and have a glass of wine while they shop, or they can come in and meet their gal pals or friends and coworkers after work.”

Diana, who holds the Advanced Certificate with the London-based Wine & Spirits Education and Trust, the educational arm of The Institute of Masters of Wine, views her role as a friendly and approachable wine educator. And she loves teaching customers how to get the best bottle of wine possible for the money.

“What if you’re having a specific meal? If you want the best value and you have $27 in your pocket?” grinned Diana. “What is the best wine for that?”

Diana told us she named her shop specifically to help break old stereotypes attached to the wine business.

“I wanted a name that specifically said that I was female, because The Wine Goddess started as a consultancy business (prior to opening as a brick and mortar in 2012),” said Diana with pride. “I wanted to convey that I was a woman because back then, wine was really a male dominated industry. It’s not anymore; I’m happy to report.”

Opportunities on the vine

Diana’s journey to The Wine Goddess started far from the world of wine. She grew up in Chicago’s western suburbs before heading to college in California where Diana admitted, “I was not into fine wine when I was at UC Berkeley, because I was poor as a mouse.”

After graduating from college, Diana said her plans for a PhD in English literature did not pan out and that she found herself at a crossroads.

“I happened to be living with a roommate, who at the time was high up in the corporate offices of Whole Foods.” Diana recalled. “She said to me, ‘Well, why don’t you sell wine? I see you drink wine all the time. You know, you can, start buying wine.’ So, I started buying wine at the Whole Foods in Palo Alto. That’s how I first got my first buying job.”

After a few months working at Whole Foods, Diana said a new opportunity presented itself. A high school friend connected Diana with an early internet wine startup, Virtual Vineyards, which later became Wine.com.

“At that time, the wine team consisted of two master sommeliers and a master of wine,” said Diana as she recounted her initial impressions. “They really needed somebody young and impressionable. In my interview I said, ‘Hey I know nothing compared to you guys, but I’m a really hard worker, and I can empty spittoons.’ So, they took a chance on me, and they basically taught me literally everything I know.”

Diana went on to soak up the wine industry and evolved her wine expertise just as the San Francisco Bay area company shuttered in 2001, which left Diana without work. At that point in her life, Diana decided to return to Chicago, newly married, and ready for a new chapter. She happened to land a job at local cooking school called The Chopping Block. It was here where she grew her wine knowledge and pitched an idea to the owners to start wine classes in addition to cooking classes.

“The owner agreed, and I was there for 11 years,” said Diana. “I did their whole wine program. While I was there, I had had two babies. So, it was a good mom job while it lasted.”

For more a decade, The Chopping Block gave Diana the perfect balance between work and family. But eventually, Diana got the urge to pursue her own professional dream.

“I decided to start my own business and opened The Wine Goddess,” explained Diana. “I didn’t want to commute into the city anymore. A storefront opened up on Main Street in Evanston and I live about four blocks from away.”

Diana said she faced a tall hurdle when launching her business. She needed the capital to open The Wine Goddess. She said two banks turned her down for loans, but one bank recognized her talent and business potential.

“PNC Bank here in town was really looking to fund female-owned and operated businesses,” said Diana with a smile. “So, they absolutely took a chance on me. I am forever grateful for that.

“We opened in 2012 after Christmas. When we first opened, we were a retailer only. Those first three years were actually really difficult retail-wise.”

Diana realized that there were either wine retailers or wine bars in Evanston, but not both. A dual license was not available, at the time in Evanston, which gave her an idea that turned out to be invaluable for The Wine Goddess.

“I went to the city hat in hand, basically saying, ‘Please guys. For me to make this work, you’ve got to allow us to serve wines by the glass.’” recalled Diana. “To their credit, the city said, ‘Fine. You know, go for it.’ That’s when we kind of became a wine bar, too.”

“The retail margin is not great, but the margins on the wine bar side are a lot more advantageous.”

Wine for all occasions, even dinner

Shopping for a bottle of wine can be intimidating. Diana stresses that the staff at The Wine Goddess recognizes that challenge for customers and takes great care to be of help.

“We have the greatest staff known to man,” observed Diana with a prideful smile. “Because we are a mom-and-pop shop, we literally know by name probably 85% of the customers that come through here. Since they know us personally, I think that takes a little bit of that intimidation factor out of the equation. You’re talking to your buddies; you’re talking to your neighbors. So, that helps a lot.”

Affordability is also a big factor at The Wine Goddess.

“Our price points are the sweet spot, and I think the reason for that is we take a somewhat European approach here,” noted Diana. “I think people should drink wine every day and not just as a special occasion beverage. So, you have to make wines affordable. We have to make those $15 wines, $20 wines, $25 wines really good for everyday consumption.”

How are these wines curated at The Wine Goddess? Diana, a 20-year veteran of Chicago’s wine scene, has built strong relationships with distributors who bring in samples, random assortments, and occasionally curated selections.

“We sit down and of course we talk about what’s going on in the industry,” said Diana. “Then we’ll get to tasting the wine.”

When we asked Diana to talk to us about her favorite regions or wines, her eyes lit up with excitement.

“I have to say that I love European wines. I am a sucker for Italian wine. I love Spanish wine, and I love French wine,” said Diana with a dollop of humor. “I think the reason for this is because the Italians, Spaniards and the French have been making wine pretty much since God was a boy. So, they’ve kind of figured out the blueprint and the recipe.”

While she stressed that she does appreciate American wines, Diana noted that old world options often deliver better value at lower price points.

“When I am reaching for a $20 bottle of wine for a Tuesday night dinner or pizza, I’m almost always going to reach for Italian.” added Diana.

Beyond the shop and wine bar, The Wine Goddess thrives with two other ventures to generate revenue.

“I think that we have the biggest wine club in Illinois; I’ve been told.” said Diana. “We have close to 500 wine club members. It’s a huge part of our business that we’re always growing.”

The club isn’t just about bottles of wine. Being part of the club is about immersing members into all things that make enjoying wine special. Each selection comes with details on the grape, the region, and the story behind the wine.

Diana also launched The Wine Goddess Adventures, a wine tourism business with her business partner Megan Fritz, who is a Wine Goddess buyer and professor of literature at Northwestern University.

“We were drinking Italian wine, eating Italian food, and I was reminiscing about the ‘90s when buyers got sent on trips to Europe,” Diana recalled with a laugh. “These days, that hardly happens! So, we decided to take the trips ourselves!”

Their first trip took 24 wine lovers through the stunning wine country of Spain and their next excursion is planned for Tuscany in Italy.

Watch your money

Diana is experienced in wine and in business. When it comes to advice for others wanting to start their own brick and mortar, Diana does not sugarcoat.

“It literally takes three years before you make any money. Don’t quit your day job if you are starting as a retailer or save up all the money that you need to really pad those first three years.

“You never knew that you needed 27 different licenses that would ping you every year for $500 here or $50 there,” Diana added. “There are big expenses that go into opening a shop like this.”

Wine is happiness

Diana said she thrives on the vibrant, unpredictable, and joyous energy of running The Wine Goddess.

“I love wine retail because it’s so social,” Diana stressed with a laugh and another serving of humor. “Every single person who walks in, you’re getting into their head. They’ll tell you things you would not believe like, ‘My mother-in-law, that bag of bones, is only happy if I give her Chardonnay from Paso Robles!’”

“People are just in a good mood when they’re buying wine. It’s not like they’re going to get their teeth drilled or something like that,” said Diana looking around her store. “They know that the end game of buying this bottle is a nice dinner with friends or a birthday gift for their loved one. It’s kind of a joyous thing.”