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w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m N o v - D e c 2 016 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 1 7 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m Calif., is a pretty good example. The wine list is short and competes with craft cocktails, beer, sake and soju. There are three sparkling whites and six still whites by the glass, but only three reds. Of the six still white wines, five are uno- aked: Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Txakoli, Chablis and Cotes de Gas- cogne. There's one American Char- donnay on the list. In Chicago, the Latin scene has grown rapidly over the past few decades. And one Chicago chef who devoted himself to studying Mexican cuisine was Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill, XOCO and the Michelin-starred Topolobampo. Topolobampo has a pretty exten- sive list and, by the numbers, it's pretty evenly split between white and red wines. While the red selec- tions cover a broad range of heft and structure, Pinot Noir, Rhone- style reds, Tempranillo and Zinfan- del overshadow traditional favorites Pairing wines with the more exotic elements of Asian and Latin American food can present chal- lenges; and there seems to be some consensus that some types of wines handle spicy chiles, deep umami notes and sweetness better than others. It's also true that wine isn't necessarily the best pairing for some foods. But the good news is that wine directors at upscale Asian and Latin restaurants are reaffirming wine's relevance to global cuisines. 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. like Cabernet Sauvignon and Mer- lot. On the white side, Rieslings outnumber Chardonnays, and there are numerous Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc selections. Again, the emphasis is on unoaked whites and Riesling, in particular. Back in Oakland, Calif., Calavera has garnered a lot of praise for its upscale, heavily Oaxacan Mexican food. The tequila and mezcal cock- tails are exceptional, but Calavera also has an extensive wine list. Like the one at Topolobampo, it's almost evenly split between red and white. Of the whites, half of the bottle selections at Calavera are Ries- lings — there are 32 of them — and half of those are German. Of six still white wines sold by the glass, five are unoaked, but there is one Chardonnay. The reds cover a good range of weights and styles, but the emphasis is on Pinot Noir and Tempranillo, two relatively flexible red wines. For more inFormation, contact atPgrouP at (707) 836-6840 or online at www. atPgrouP.com atpgroup Introducing CDR WineLab Touch ~The Future of Wine Testing~ It's versatile. The WineLab Touch can perform 16 tests simultaneously. It's reliable. The WineLab Touch is extremely dependable and comes with a 3-year warranty. It's affordable. Any winery, large or small, can afford it. Contact ATPGroup for more information about leasing or purchasing. It's simple. The WineLab Touch requires no special training. Just add a sample to the pre-vialed reagent and go. It's very accurate. The WineLab Touch has 25 pre-calibrated tests for sugars, SO2, nitrogen, polyphenols, color, and many more. It's fast. Printout readings of must and wine in a matter of minutes. MARKET WATCH TIM TEICHGRAEBER