Our Story

Le Midi is the term the French commonly use to refer to the southern region of France bounded by Spain and the Pyrénées to the south, and by Italy and the Alps to the northeast.

Over the past two decades, we have had the good fortune of traveling extensively throughout Europe, visiting wineries, exploring restaurants, and seeking out the best local wine shops.

With Le Midi as our inspiration, we set out to create a convivial gathering spot for sampling the flavors of places such as France, Italy, Spain, and other European countries.

At our core, we are a wine shop, a place to explore some of the top wines of Europe and beyond. We’ve worked tirelessly to source the wines we feature, tasting thousands to narrow them down to a rotating selection of 250 labels. We also feature a small, exciting mix of craft spirits, beer, and sake.

Le Midi will bring to Chicago the Mediterranean tradition of l’heure de l’apéro: the time before or after dinner to sit back and relax with a glass of wine alongside a few choice bites meant to enhance your experience.

Located in the vibrant Wicker Park neighborhood, we are an ideal stopping point for those who are looking to experience an evolving wine glass list of over 20 selections, enjoy a few remarkable bites, and explore a range of bottles to take home.

We look forward to having you indulge yourself at Le Midi, with our charming staff, cozy European feel, and a world of wine you won’t soon forget.

Meet the Owners

  • Craig Perman

    FOUNDER

    Craig brings over 25 years of experience in the wine retail and restaurant business. Craig began his journey into wine after attending the University of Oregon. His professional career in Portland began at The Heathman Restaurant, before moving on to work in his first retail job at The Cellar Door. Returning to his native Chicago, he was introduced to the Chicago retail wine scene at Sam's Wine & Spirits. He re-entered the restaurant business working at the critically acclaimed Alinea in their first year of service. Further stints at Blackbird and Avec, solidified his relationships with the Chicago restaurant scene. Craig opened Perman Wine Selections in 2007, a retail store dedicated to highlighting “the best of the best” of the small, independent wine producers of the world. Perman Wine has been extensively featured in the press including Food and Wine, The Wall Street Journal, Wine Spectator and in 2021 was named “Chicago’s Best Wine Shop” by Time Out Magazine.

  • Seth Wilson

    FOUNDER

    Seth started his career with hospitality and wine education at 19 years old when he got his first restaurant job during his undergraduate years at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. Following graduation Seth remained in the restaurant industry in multiple capacities while also traveling the world, picking up pieces of cultural and culinary knowledge, and learning multiple foreign languages from having lived and worked in various cities: Tokyo, Berlin, Reykjavik, DC, Austin, and also working the 2019 wine harvest in New Zealand for three months. Seth furthered his passion for wine after working under Alpana Singh at the wine-driven restaurant The Boarding House before going to work for Lettuce Entertain You restaurants. It was during his tenure with Lettuce’s RPM Steak that he pursued wine education more seriously and obtained his sommelier certification through the Guild of Master Sommeliers leading him to take on more wine-driven roles within the company. It was the culmination of these experiences that taught Seth to prioritize the art of hospitality and to learn his guests' needs intimately before guiding them to the perfect bottle of wine.