Winemaker Ben Glaetzer blew into the Chicago area this week amid his annual tour of the States to promote forthcoming releases from the fabulous Barossa Valley in Australia.

Ben gathered with a group of local wine connoisseurs at the acclaimed Hinsdale Wine Shop in the city’s western suburbs (he’s posing here with oenophile Doug Myers, center, and the wine shop’s esteemed founder Sean Chaudhry) and unveiled a spectrum of exceptional types of red wine, foremost among them the 2006 Amon-Ra Shiraz. Ben does not attempt to conceal his lofty expectations for the ‘06, even though it comes on the heels of an ‘04 and ‘05 also both highly regarded. He expects to go three-for-three. The ‘06 growing season was slighty warmer than the previous two, which leads the congenial Aussie to believe the current Amon-Ra will continue to add finesse, elegance and structure as it matures in the bottle.

Chicago

Decorated chef Shawn McClain now is more dominant in Chicago than ever with a trio of restaurants. The latest, Custom House, was our dinner destination this week when author and journalist Bruce Schoenfeld arrived in town from his bunker in Boulder, Colo. I was in some knowledgable company, so I listened, savored and sipped for the most part as an evening of conversation — mostly about Spanish wine — unfolded amid the buzz of Custom House, a comfortable, contemporary room adjoining the city’s financial district.

Also at the table was Brian Duncan, wine director at another superb Chicago eatery, Bin 36, and Denver-based Spanish importer Steve Miles. Steve is an independent operator now but was a key player with Eric Solomon’s European Cellars import operations for more than a decade.

USA Today recently spotlighted a growing “appetite for elite culinary adventures” among individuals inspired by wine, food and travel. Private vineyard tours, winemaker seminars and in-home dining events led by top chefs are the essential elements in upscale travel itineraries.

The rise of this total-access trend is the catalyst of a new alliance between HinsdaleCellars.com, the online source for premium wine gifts, and luxury vacation homes management agency BeautifulPlaces.

The promotional agreement means Hinsdale Cellars’ connoisseur clients will receive a 10% discount on weekly published rates when placing a reservation for one of 35 premier wine country villas and chateaus offered through BeautifulPlaces. This is the first important step toward planning travel across the major winemaking regions of northern California and France.