The Purple Pig

A 150-200 bottle list that's laser-focused on the Mediterranean tells you everything about The Purple Pig's seriousness. This isn't some tourist trap wine program coasting on Michigan Avenue foot traffic — it's a thoughtfully curated selection that mirrors the menu's regional obsession. The by-the-glass program runs 25-30 options deep, which is unusually ambitious for a place this busy.

The list commits hard to Greece, Spain, and Italy with producers that go well beyond the usual suspects. Greek wines get proper representation with bottles like Assyrtiko that most Chicago restaurants ignore entirely. Spanish sections lean into Albariño and other coastal whites that make sense with the pork-forward menu. The Italian natural wine selection shows they're not afraid to get funky, though they balance it with enough crowd-pleasing options to keep the Michigan Avenue tourists happy. Bottles range from $40 to $250, which is a smart spread that lets you go deep without mortgaging your apartment.

The glass program runs $10-$18, which is shockingly reasonable for this location. With 25-30 options rotating through, they're clearly moving volume and keeping things fresh rather than letting pours oxidize. The Mediterranean focus holds strong here too — you're not getting the same Napa Cab and New Zealand Sauv Blanc rotation every other downtown spot defaults to.