Thelma Carol Shares the Stories of Winemakers Around the World

They curate wines in a variety of price points, and for all levels of experience.

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Rebecca Button and Jerel Hall, the wife and husband team behind Thelma Carol Wine Merchants (605 W. Virginia St.), met in 2013 while working at a fine dining restaurant in Bloomingdale, Ind. Not only did their romance blossom, so did a love for eclectic, small production wines.

Today, Button and Hall share that passion for boutique wine, spirits and tobacco at Thelma Carol, their charming Victorian-era themed retail shop and bar. Thelma Carol—named after Hall’s grandmother, Thelma June Harris, and Button’s grandmother, Carol Bloemke—opened in 2022 and has been their vision for nearly a decade.

Button and Hall have a combined 25 years’ experience in the hospitality and beverage industry. Button had also worked in marketing and in the nonprofit world. Hall has a master’s degree in library science and is a Certified Sommelier.

The focus of a sommelier is knowing the industry inside and out to give restaurant guests the best possible experience. “There are other focuses of wine education professionals that are less centered on being in a restaurant. But we all have the same goal—to know about wine so we can help people access, learn and love what they’re looking for more effectively,” Hall says. “That fed into the way we operate the store. We have a very significant emphasis on education and talking to people in an interactive setting.”

That interaction includes tasting delicious wines and spirits but also a larger context of discussion of the beverages. Button and Hall offer wines with distinct characteristics that stand out, whether it’s from a small batch winery, a unique area of the world, or wine made from interesting grapes. They curate wines in a variety of price points, and for all levels of experience.

Almost every winemaker behind the bottles on the shelves has a story. “Each thing we sell and focus on has a unique quality to it,” Hall says. “Having to tell stories of the winemakers of bottle itself is a big plus for us.”

The bar offers wines by the glass. The pour changes regularly but consist of smaller, boutique wines, rather than more predictable by-the-glass offerings. Button loves champagne, so they have champagne by the glass. The spirits portion of the bar doesn’t offer craft cocktails but rather lets the raw spirit speak for itself. They also have fine pipe tobacco.

Button observes a growing interest in the natural wine category. Orange wine, a skin contact wine made with white wine grapes, is also having a moment.

Wines made in the Balkans are often requested. “People are looking for those exquisite wines,” she says. They work with Triglav Wines, an importer that only carries wines from the Balkan countries. “Triglav is doing great things in Wisconsin.”

Button and Hall recently introduced the Thelma Carol Wine Club. Members can experience a monthly curated selection of two bottles that explore a range of themes, regions and varietals. The new Thelma Carol Spirits Co-Op uses input from members to curate spirits selections.

Pairing Suggestions for Holiday Meals

Hall’s favorite food holiday is Thanksgiving, and he has plenty of pairing suggestions. “All of the canonical foods during Thanksgiving go very well with a large variety of wines. Lighter reds go well with the salty components of a ham or turkey. Try a lighter bodied grenache, barbera or northern Italian nebbiolo—anything from Italy’s Piedmont region,” he recommends.

He says rosés are fun to pair throughout multiple different courses, or just pop a bottle to enjoy while the turkey is in the oven and you’re waiting for guests.

Pinot noir also pairs well, as do refreshing white wines. “The Alsace region of France produces lighter bodied but not too sweet Rieslings. We also like pinot Blanc, or pinot gris.”

For Christmas, Hall suggests heavily bodied wines such as cabernets and Chilean reds. Wines with more substance and body can help lessen the effects of winter.

Thelma Carol offers tastings and hosts events such as the upcoming Single Malt School: Barrel Finishes, on November 23; and the Mezcal Tasting with Lou Bank on December 6. They will also feature themed holiday baskets. A festive New Year’s Eve party takes place December 31, and each guest gets a free glass of champagne at midnight.

Hall says Thelma Carol is part of a swell of independent wine shops that are complementing Milwaukee’s expanding food and wine culture. “It’s a very exciting time to be in this profession in Milwaukee,” he observes. “We want people to walk into Thelma Carol, see things, and then hopefully walk out with a bottle or two, along with a fun memory.” 

For more information, visit thelmacarolwine.com.