Cellar Rat wants you to know that corporate wines suck—Mondavi, Gallo, Yellow Tail, Dancing Bull and Turning Leaf to name just a few. You won't find any bottles here that you could grab at Jewel or Dominick's. This shop touts itself as the "indie record store of wine," and it wants to teach Chicagoans that wine should be a fun part of everyday life.

Its selections, all from small, independent producers, are priced the same or lower than mass-produced versions. And, on top of the cheap price tag, you're getting way more service here than a stock boy in an apron could give you. Best of all, a table filled with bottles that cost less than $10 shines like a beacon for the penny-pinching and cash-strapped, proving your newfound wine connoisseurship doesn't have to blow your budget.

The space, which lacks pretension entirely, sports candid photos of famous people sipping vino, along with retro kitchen furniture. The friendly, helpful staff is so knowledgeable you'd think they've been stopping on grapes since infancy. Whatever you're looking for, they'll find it and won't talk down to you. Even a wine dilettante who wanders in with a request like, "I need a good cheap wine that goes with pork kebabs," would get a smile. The store will start offering classes and tastings, all focused on how to remove the posturing and elitism from wine and wine stores, while keeping all the fun.

Centerstage Reviewer: Beth Dugan