Barbara Glunz-Donovan, a member of the third generation of House of Glunz, grew up on the second floor of the historical House of Glunz building at 1206 N. Wells.  According to Chicago Architecture Center, the House of Glunz has been family-operated for 135 years, making it the oldest business in Old Town and oldest wine and spirits store in the U.S. 

 

In 2012, her son and partner, Christopher spearheaded the reopening of the neighboring Glunz Tavern, closed since Prohibition. Historic decor and artifacts, many of which are over 100 years old, were re-discovered when the tavern was restored and reopened. The Tasting Room is a treasure trove of hand-carved furniture and drinkware from the neighborhood’s German past. It serves as a  time machine that immerses you into the journey of Barbara’s grandfather Louis Glunz Sr. from Westphalia, Germany to post-great fire Chicago. One can touch the old bottle of “Schlitz” beer that witnessed the Chicago World Fair and eavesdrop on a conversation between Louis Glunz and businessman and city planner Charles H. Wacker who was in charge of the Fair. The Fair made a great impact on the growth of Chicago businesses in 1893, including the Glunz wine and spirit importing business. Louis Jr. (the son of Louis Sr. and Barbara’s father) and his wife had five children and 37 grandchildren.

 

Barbara took over the reign of the House of Glunz in 1989 from her mother.  By that time Barbara, mother of six, was already a seasoned wine expert. “We were raised to have a career. Our mother had a profession and successful career before she married our father” says Barbara. 

 

In 1977 when she started working in the wine concession import business, the wine industry was primarily dominated by men. Barbara and two other women in the business had their own informal groundbreakers club.

 

According to Barbara, wine gained popularity in the 1970s, after the huge success of the California Wine Pavilion at World Fair 1971. The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, also known as the Judgment of Paris, in which California wines beat out their French counterparts in a blind tasting, was the major turning point for the rise of the California wine industry.

 

Barbara would connect with hotels, restaurants, and clubs – convincing them to add American wines to their wine list. “We dressed differently those days, wearing heels and suits.  We had to gain people’s trust and respect by our professional talk and looks”, smiles Barbara. “I always felt accepted and respected because I knew the subject, and I enjoyed my work”. 

 

The wine industry requires a lot of studying and traveling, networking, and building new bridges. Barbara traveled all over Europe checking out vineyards in France and Italy, studying wine cellars in Spain, and Portugal and learning, learning, learning. Her treasure hunt goes on – you can see fine wines from Armenia, Croatia and Georgia, whisky and bourbons from India, Japan and Ireland.  

 

Barbara is very  selective – only the best of the best at every price point can find a home in the House of Glunz. Each wine has its own handwritten description.

 

To her, the House of Glunz and the tavern are more than a business. It’s part of her family’s and Chicago’s history and traditions, something she is trying to preserve. She never stops learning and sharing knowledge with the public. Weekly wine tasting events at the House of Glunz with professional speakers; presentation of a wide variety of traditional and organic wines, beer and whiskey corporate events and active support of community events. 

 

But most importantly Barbara wants to preserve the culture of hard work, continuous learning, resilience, and love for life for the generations to come.