In Milwaukee, where 19th century beer barons like Joseph Schlitz and Capt. Frederick Pabst put Brew City on the map as a drinking town, wine has at last caught up. Wine bars are sprinkled throughout neighborhoods from Bay View to Brookfield. Winemakers swing into the region often on coastal tours, and any night of the week there’s a tasting poised to educate your palate. Boutique wine retailers are cropping up, too.

In 2008, Phil Bilodeau and Aimee Murphy relocated from Napa and Sonoma, where they worked at Grgich Hills Estate and Hanna Winery, to open Thief Wine Shop & Bar in the Milwaukee Public Market and Shorewood. "Milwaukee has grown a lot wine-wise in the almost five years I’ve been here, but still has a ways to go," Bilodeau says. "There’s a desire and curiosity among wine drinkers to learn more and a willingness to try new things."

We called upon a handful of wine experts like Bilodeau and Murphy to weigh in on Milwaukee’s wine IQ and all things wine.

Nate Norfolk, sommelier at Purple Feet Wines, Pewaukee

Milwaukee As A Wine Town: The Bartolotta Group has attracted huge names to do events — Chateau Montelena, Veuve Clicquot and Mouton Rothschild, to name a few — and these are always well attended. But many wine consumers still aren’t willing to push the envelope. I can’t believe how many tastings I put on and people won’t even try something for free because they have a preconceived notion they may not like it.

Wine Trend You’re So Over: Saying you don’t like Merlot sets me in a rage. If a Saint Emilion Grand Cru made you break out in hives or Pomerol gives you a gag reflex then maybe you can say you don’t like Merlot. If you think you don’t like Merlot and you have never tried the last two styles of wine I mentioned, then you haven’t really tried Merlot and passing it off entirely is just close-minded.

Favorite Unexpected Pairing: At c. 1880 I drank a dry Chenin Blanc from the Saumur region of France’s Loire Valley paired with scallops (with sunchokes, scallions and a subtle white-chocolate sauce). The dish sounded almost impossible to pull off but was perfectly balanced.

Curt Robinson, owner of Union House, Genesee Depot

Favorite Unexpected Pairing: Port wine with barbecued ribs, a pairing I learned from a French wine négociant (wine merchant) in Burgundy, France.

Tips For The Wine Newbie: Try everything that’s offered to you, both food and wine. Savor the nuances of flavors.

Try different combinations. Listen whenever you get the opportunity to hear from a wine professional. Remember that tastes are as individual as fingerprints and enjoy what you like best.

Favorite Wine Under $50: 2006 Spelletich Cellars Bodog Red (Napa Valley, California, $30)

Heather Korte, sommelier and assistant manager, Mason Street Grill, Milwaukee

Evolution Of Milwaukee As A Wine Town: Wines not previously offered for sale have surfaced recently, such as Turley (a very highly regarded Zinfandel producer) and Blackbird Vineyards (Pomerol-inspired Merlot blends from Napa). Thief Wine Shop & Bar and Balzac have proven to be very successful — even for a city that many had written off as an exclusive haven for beer drinkers. Just this year, Mason Street Grill hosted dinners with Joseph Phelps, Caymus, Blackbird Vineyards, Laetitia, Foppiano and Clos du Val. 

Wine Trend That’s So Over: I am bored with the more heavily oaked, high-alcohol, candied-fruit flavored and outlandishly expensive offerings that garner lavish praise from some wine publications. These wines are just awful for attempting to find a happy marriage with food. 

Favorite Wine Under $50: Boom Boom Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington, $35)

Phil Bilodeau, sommelier and co-proprietor of Thief Wine Shop & Bar

Favorite Local Wine Trend: We’ve been championing dry Rosé since we started, and it’s really taken off. We used to have to work hard to convince people it wasn’t white Zin, and now it’s got a huge following among our customers. Food-friendly, refreshing, affordable and there’s a huge range of flavors and styles.

Favorite Unexpected Pairing: Lopez de Heredia’s 1973 Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Rioja Blanco at a tapas bar in Haro, Rioja, Spain, in 2001. It was astonishing to see how well an almost 30-year-old oaked white went perfectly with what we ate — cured meats, cod, egg-based tapas, potato, stuffed piquillo peppers, etc.

Tips For Wine Newbies: Start an informal wine group and taste wines side by side. Most people have a decent palate. They just don’t have the vocabulary or experience to articulate it.