Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants: Wine Snobs Not Allowed

In 2009, when I first heard of Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants, my interest was piqued.  Their winemaker, Rob Warren, had done a stint at a small winery in Virginia, my home state, and the concept of a restaurant serving their own wines was new to the Chicago area.  Friends and acquaintances who had dined at Cooper’s Hawk enjoyed the food and by all accounts the wines were pretty tasty, too.

Soon thereafter, I visited their Barrington location for wine and appetizers then for brunch in Naperville a year later.  The experiences were positive:  the food and wines were delicious and the price points were affordable. Although there were reasons to return, I didn’t give Cooper’s Hawk much of a chance.  Was it yet another suburban outpost?  Did I prefer a more eclectic wine list with choices from around the world? Were the wines too consumer friendly? And (horror of horrors) was I finally becoming a wine snob?

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I had the opportunity to chat with Winemaker Rob Warren who arrived at Cooper’s Hawk almost eight years ago. I was particularly interested in the wine program especially after having dined there twice during the holidays and tasted still and sparkling wines that were quite good.  As I expected, grapes are sourced from California, Oregon, Washington, and Michigan.  Production is at their corporate headquarters in Countryside, Illinois and approximately 260,000 cases are produced each year.  Bottles are sent to wine club members and to each of their 18 restaurants located in Indiana, Florida, Ohio, Missouri, Virginia, and Wisconsin.  25-30% of the wines shipped are poured in the restaurants.  Their Blanc de Blanc Sparkling was selected by the First Lady at the Illinois Inaugural Gala in 2013  to pour during her toast and a plethora of awards and accolades have been bestowed.

With a hands-on style, Warren shared that he is looking for “no austere wines.  I want straightforward wines with balanced tannins, acidity, and alcohol.”  He wants to “turn foodies into wine lovers” with wines that are “food friendly and delicious.”  The majority of wines at Cooper’s Hawk are blends and Pinot Noir is their top selling red.

During my visits I tasted their overall top seller, the Almond Sparkling, as well as the Unoaked Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Lux Chardonnay, Lux Cabernet Sauvignon, and Lux Meritage.  Costs per bottle range from $14.99 to $21.99 and prices by the glass are from $6.25 to $8.75 with the Lux wines somewhat higher. Warren explained that wines under the Lux label are blended with “better grapes from better vineyards with labor intensive winemaking.” The Lux Cabernet, for example, is aged in “high quality barrels”. Can you remember seeing a restaurant’s wine list with bottles and by the glass offerings at those prices?  I certainly don’t.

But what about the fact that there is no vintage date on any label?  Was my Lux Meritage a 2009 or 2012?  Apparently there are no vintage dates for any wines and haven’t been since 2008.  This gives Warren great levity in blending grapes from different vintages in order to produce the style of wine desired.  And according to Warren, no one seems to care…especially the over 113,000 wine club members who participate in one of the largest in the country.

The Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club requires no fee to join and for starters, $18.99 each month will earn you one bottle.  One of the many perks in this popular club is that members can purchase club only wines, those that are not on the restaurant’s wine list, when they dine at the restaurant.  Besides discounts, there is an upcoming wine trip to Portugal, themed events, and dinners that are exclusive to wine club members.  Most of these offerings are sold out.

Visitors can try the wines in the tasting room located near the restaurant entrance within an expansive gift shop boasting bottles of Cooper’s Hawk wines and any wine related item they may desire.  Plenty of wine lovers held court at the tasting bar each time I visited Cooper’s Hawk.  Starting at $7, thirsty guests are able to taste eight wines.  During my latest visit, the tasting room offered tastes from two categories:  Sweet Tasting with Moscato, Gewurtztraminer, and fruity wines such as Peach and Passion Fruit, and Monthly Selections that may include Chardonnay, Cooper’s Hawk White, Cabernet Zinfandel, and more.  An array of food and chocolates to pair with that newly purchased wine can be found a few steps away from the bar.

Is Rob Warren meeting his goal of creating wine lovers from foodies?  It looks that way.  During my visits almost every guest old enough to imbibe in the crowded dining room had a glass of wine in hand.  The wine list offers a brief tasting note for each wine.  The lunch and dinner menus offer a suggested wine pairing after each selection.  In the event of customer questions, the manager and servers are well informed about the various wines in order to provide assistance.  At the very least, these food lovers have become Cooper’s Hawk wine lovers.

I’m glad that I gave Cooper’s Hawk another chance.  Yes, the restaurants are located in the Chicago suburbs and on the outskirts of other large cities.  You don’t have to fight city traffic to enjoy a good meal and a lovely glass of wine – a big plus.  Yes, the wine list isn’t international, but is crafted to pair with menu selections and the vast range of tastes of Cooper’s Hawk diners.   Yes, the wines are consumer friendly; their wine business is booming with total projected 2014 revenues (which include the restaurant, online orders, and wine club) of $116 million.

And no, I’m not a wine snob.  I appreciate an easy drinking glass of wine at an affordable price and Cooper’s Hawk delivers.  Even without the vintage date.

Cheers~ Cindy

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