Nightlife Kingpin, Master Sommelier Make Crain's 40 Under 40 List

Fernando Beteta, master sommelier/wine director at NoMI (Photo: NoMI)


Matt Eisler, president of Empire Holding Co. (Angels & Kings, Nightwood, Empire Liquors, Bar DeVille), was the only restaurateur/nightclub owner to make Crain's prestigious annual 40 Under 40 list.

Check out his profile here.


And NoMI's Fernando Beteta—the only wine professional on the list—caught the mag's attention for his "keen sense of smell and finely honed palate . . . and also his diverse background that propelled him to be named earlier this year to the Court of Master Sommeliers, of which there are only 171 members worldwide."

His profile can be found here.

Pinot Days are Back!

Just the thought of sampling amazing wines for four straight hours gets us excited.

Pinot Days—the city's largest pinot wine festival—returns to Navy Pier and you don't want to miss it.

Expect more than 50 pinot producers to be on hand, pouring more than 300 different vinos to hundreds of enthusiasts. Plus, you'll even get to taste the newly released 2007 vintage, which is being called the best in decades. You'll also get to meet the winemakers and winery owners, so everything you've ever wanted to know about wine will finally be answered. Some of the exhibitors include local gems BIN 36 and Juicy Wine Co., who've created their own signature pinots.

And yay! 312DD readers get a discount! You'll get 10 percent off when you enter the code DININGDIVAC09 when ordering tickets here.

Pinot Days is 1-5pm Nov. 14. $50.