![\"Cherish](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CTC-L-american-wine006_263931975.jpg\")
Cherish Varley, Ox Bar & Hearth assistant general manager\/bar director, pours a glass of Orango Tango from California on June 20, 2026. (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\nThe Fourth of July is, for many of us, a welcome excuse for barbecues, beach outings and fireworks \u2014 a holiday defined by gathering, but also some pretty ambitious eating and drinking too.<\/p>\n
For wine lovers, this year\u2019s celebrations arrive on the heels of another milestone. Last month marked the 50th anniversary of the Judgement of Paris, the now-legendary 1976 blind tasting that pitted California wines against some of the most celebrated French wines. When a panel of French experts awarded top honors to the Americans, it sent shockwaves through the wine world and permanently altered global perception of American wine.<\/p>\n
Cherish Varley, Ox Bar & Hearth assistant general manager\/bar director, pours a glass of Orango Tango from California on June 20, 2026. (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n
Commemoration of this anniversary comes at an uneasy moment though. American wine has never enjoyed greater global credibility, but the industry faces historic crossroads today, grappling with oversupply, declining consumption and growing uncertainty about its future.<\/p>\n
Which is why, for the Fourth of July, it feels especially fitting to celebrate the kind of independent producers redefining the future of American wine.<\/p>\n
Whether a poolside quaffer or something robust enough for brisket and ribs, there\u2019s no shortage of excellent American wines to choose from. But beyond the familiar labels that dominate big-box store shelves, it\u2019s worth paying attention to the kind of winegrowers championing a more distinctive version of American wine \u2014 one rooted in a sense of origin, better farming and long-term stewardship of their land and communities.<\/p>\n
The challenge, of course, is that many of America\u2019s most exciting, thoughtfully made wines aren\u2019t always easy to find. Small producers focused on farming and site expression rarely have the distribution or marketing muscle of larger brands.<\/p>\n
At Ox Bar & Hearth in Lincoln Park, where roughly 85% of the restaurant\u2019s wine list is American, beverage director Cherish Varley has made a point of spotlighting America\u2019s smaller, independent producers. Alongside established benchmarks like Napa cabernet or Sonoma sparkling wines, the list takes a deeper dive into lesser-known and emerging wine regions like Michigan, New York or California\u2019s Central Coast. The diversity of not only origin, but also winemaking styles reflects \u201cjust how dynamic American wine has become,\u201d Varley says.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s been especially keen to highlight winegrowers closer to home like Modales Wines in Michigan\u2019s Fennville AVA. The winery produces \u201cvibrant, expressive wines with real character\u201d that distinctly reflect their Michigan origins, she says. Modales leans into cold-hardy grapes varieties like blaufr\u00e4nkisch, the spicy Austrian red variety that has become a favorite by-the-glass pour at Ox Bar.<\/p>\n
Modales is also one of only a handful of Michigan wineries to achieve USDA organic certification for two of its vineyards, meaning their grapes are grown without synthetic herbicides, fungicides, pesticides or fertilizers. For Varley, it\u2019s evidence of a broader shift in American wine. Niche conversations about natural wines seem to be maturing into a more tangible focus on sustainability, healthier soils and reduced chemical inputs.<\/p>\n
That shift is increasingly shaping what ends up in consumers\u2019 glasses. Beyond region or grape variety, it\u2019s worth considering how a wine is farmed and the stewardship behind it, an approach that also impacts the wine program at The Greggory<\/a> in South Barrington. While The Greggory\u2019s steakhouse menu calls for classic wines from Napa and Italy, years in Los Angeles also left wine director Albert Letizia with a lasting appreciation for California\u2019s Central Coast. \u201cYou\u2019re not paying Napa Valley prices, you\u2019re getting a lot more bang for your buck down there, and there\u2019s a bigger movement toward organic and biodynamic wines,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Among the producers he returns to most often is Stolpman Vineyards in Santa Barbara County\u2019s Ballard Canyon. The certified organic and biodynamic estate has become just as well known for their commitment to their workforce through La Cuadrilla, a profit-sharing label created by owner Tom Stolpman and vineyard manager Rub\u00e9n Sol\u00f3rzano. The project gives the winery\u2019s year-round vineyard crew ownership of a small vineyard block, with profits from the wines returned to crew members.<\/p>\n But La Cuadrilla isn\u2019t compelling just because of its mission.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re really site-specific wines,\u201d says Letizia. \u201cYou can really taste the Central Coast \u2014 the heat and ripeness of the valley canyon, but also the acidity and freshness from cool nights and the proximity to the Pacific Ocean. They\u2019re just pure fruit.\u201d<\/p>\n As American wine continues to evolve, the story is less about competing with Europe than about forging a distinctly American identity.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an exciting time for American winemaking,\u201d says Varley, \u201cwhere tradition, experimentation, and a deep respect for the land are all coming together in meaningful ways.\u201d<\/p>\n Ox Bar & Hearth, 1578 N. Clybourn Ave.; 312-763-2222; oxbarchicago.com<\/a><\/p>\n The Greggory, 100 W. Higgins Road Unit C1, South Barrington; 847-551-5740;\u00a0thegreggory.com<\/a><\/p>\n 7 American wines for the Fourth of July<\/p>\n Modales 2022 Lake Michigan Shore Blaufr\u00e4nkisch <\/strong>($24 at Modales<\/a>)<\/p>\n Varley will likely spend Independence Day pouring American wines at Ox Bar, including this favorite. A floral, perfumed red with peppery spice and vibrant acidity, Modales\u2019 blaufr\u00e4nkisch is a compelling expression of the Lake Michigan Shore, where the region\u2019s cool, continental climate brings freshness, structure and remarkable finesse to this Austrian variety.<\/p>\n Emme Wines California Pink Lemonade Pink Wine <\/strong>($30 at Independent Spirits<\/a>)<\/p>\n Winemaker Rosalind Reynolds of Emme Wines is a rising star in Northern California, known for producing tiny quantities of fresh, lower-alcohol expressions of California emphasizing purity of fruit and overlooked vineyards and grape varieties. Varley pours Pink Lemonade, an electric-pink blend of abouriou, zinfandel, colombard, valdiguie\u0301 and carignan by the glass at Ox Bar \u201cchilled with our white wines,\u201d she says. \u201cOn the nose, it\u2019s like cranberry and pomegranate candy, but it\u2019s bright and fresh on the palate with this ripping acidity.\u201d<\/p>\n Frog\u2019s Leap Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc <\/strong>($25 at Binny\u2019s<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u201cThis Fourth of July, I\u2019m drinking ice-cold sauvignon blanc from Frog\u2019s Leap,\u201d says Letizia. Family-owned and a pioneer in organic farming, the Napa Valley winery earned the region\u2019s first California Certified Organic Farmers vineyard certification in 1989. It\u2019s also a fantastic value, he says, a bright, thirst-quenching wine marked by vibrant acidity and freshness.<\/p>\n Stolpman Vineyards 2023 Ballard Canyon La Cuadrilla Red Blend <\/strong>($23 at Binny\u2019s<\/a>)<\/p>\n At less than $30, La Cuadrilla is a remarkable introduction to Stolpman\u2019s vibrant, fruit-driven style and the singular climate of Ballard Canyon, where syrah, grenache, mourv\u00e8dre and sangiovese combine to capture both the warmth of the valley and the freshness of its cool maritime influence.<\/p>\n Grgich Hills 2023 Napa Valley Chardonnay<\/strong> ($47 at Binny\u2019s<\/a>)<\/p>\n When the conversation turns to the Judgment of Paris tasting, Letizia points to this unmistakably California yet elegantly balanced chardonnay from Grgich Hills. Founder Miljenko Grgich was the winemaker who crafted the 1973 Chateau Montelena chardonnay that won the historic tasting. Today, Grgich Hills continues to push wine forward as one of Napa\u2019s most pioneering leaders in regenerative agriculture.<\/p>\n![\"Cherish](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CTC-L-american-wine011_263931989.jpg\")
Cherish Varley, Ox Bar & Hearth assistant general manager\/bar director, talks with customers Victoria Lopez and Konstantin Koval as she prepares to pour them glasses of Emme Wines pink lemonade selection out of California on June 20, 2026. (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CTC-L-american-wine004_263931971.jpg\")
A selection of American wines at Ox Bar & Hearth. (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n