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2 8 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | N o v - D e c 2 014 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m Ross also said that versatility is a major consideration in selecting wines for his list. "There are two things I think about when I'm tast- ing wines for (potential inclusion on) the list," he said. "One is over- all balance, and two is how will it go with our menu items. A majority of our wines are going to be more balanced with proper acidity, good minerality and well-integrated tan- nins. We don't have a lot of really tannic or super-acid-driven wines. We have some of those wines because they fill a niche, and some people will drink them no matter what, but the majority of the wines are properly balanced wines." At Parallel 38, as with many small-plates restaurants, the menu is divided into sections: salad, veg- etable and protein. One service technique Ross employs in guid- ing diners is encouraging them to try a round of lighter dishes to start before moving on to richer dishes. If the customers are amenable, it helps his staff offer better wine suggestions. That way, "The wine pairing can be progressive as well," he explained. I n g e n e r a l , t h e m o v e m e n t toward small plates favors variety over formality, and maybe that's a good thing. If it sacrifices a bit of precision in terms of pairing wine and food, it at least invites an explo- ration of the world of wine, one glass at a time. Tim Teichgraeber cut his teeth in retail wine sales before becom- ing the wine columnist for the Min- neapolis Star Tribune. Today he is a contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle, Tasting Panel, Opus Vino and other publications, when he's not working as an entertainment lawyer in San Francisco. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com. Asked what qualities make a wine 'versatile' in his restaurant, Fournier said, "Good acidity. I think that's one of the things." "Personally, I like barbera a lot. I like a lot of Piemontese wines like Barolo, as long as they're from the right property and for the right price," Fournier added. Prosecco and Lambrusco remain popular. Still, he said he wants to give his customers what they want. Pinot noir is popular, as is malbec. A lot of his customers like full- bodied reds, and when he took a Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvi- gnon from Sonoma County off the list, customers wanted to know why. "We sell a lot of (cabernet)," Fournier said. "I'm not saying that with our menu it makes a lot of sense, but it's one of those things that people look for when they go out to eat. Drink what you like." BY-THE-GLASS SOLUTIONS Parallel 38's Justin Ross said that the way people eat at his restaurant, sharing a variety of dishes back and forth, has definitely impacted his wine list. An extraordinary range of by-the-glass selections (made pos- sible by use of Coravin units) has been key to his wine program. "It used to be that we would carry a lot more half bottles, which allowed people to try lighter stuff first," explained Ross. "Now tech- nology has caught up, so we offer many more wines by the glass. We actually do 115 wines by the glass right now." He also sells wines with a price tag of over $100 by the ounce. Aside from a couple of spar- kling wines, virtually everything is available by the glass. The breadth of his glass pours assures that each customer can get what he or she wants. "If four people are sharing the same three dishes, they won't all have the same palate," Ross explained. "We can offer four people four different glasses of wine that they might not have been able to get before. All of them can experience the dishes in their own way with the wine. It also allows them to do the same thing on the next round of dishes as well." MARKET WATCH TIM TEICHGRAEBER