Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/670021
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m M a y - J u n e 2 016 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 2 5 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m with Ad Hoc in 2005, but I think Chi- cago's wonderful restaurant, Avec, also adopted a similar, relaxed style of shared small and large plates in 2003. In the Bay Area alone, Petit Crenn and Liholiho Yacht Club are recent additions to the category. Eleven Madison Park in Manhattan is reportedly going in that direction, according to Jason Alexander, gen- eral manager and wine director for both The Progress and State Bird Provisions in San Francisco. Alexander is in the envious — and, probably, extremely stressful — position of overseeing both the wine programs and front of house operations at two of San Fran- cisco's hottest tickets. State Bird Provisions was conceived by chefs Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski as a dim sum-style eatery where Pacific Rim cuisine is pushed out in batches and offered tableside in an eclectic flurry of small plates. A couple of years later, they opened The Progress, where diners select 60:40 bottle to by-the-glass sales. You're getting multiple dishes and they're not necessarily going to have the same flavor profile. We've really framed the list as very high- acid, mineral-driven white wines and floral, lower-tannin red wines. It's super flexible. Almost anything on the list is going to work in some way with the dishes," says Alexander. "When we come to the table and people ask, 'Can we do a pairing?' we say, 'No,' but we can take a look at what they've ordered and help them pick an appropriate wine," explains Alexander. "Stuart's food has always been more white wine- driven, and we can point them in that direction. We definitely sell by the glass, too, but the bulk of what we do is bottle sales." I asked Alexander if people drink more when they order bottles. "It depends on the size of the party. A small party might have one or two glasses vs. splitting two and a half glasses if they get a bottle. I guess four dishes from a prix fixe menu of 12 dishes, and the dishes are scaled to the size of the party. Each party enjoys the same four courses family-style, served on passed plat- ters, with two courses often on the table at the same time. Alexander explains the differ- ence this way: "The Progress is large plates. State Bird is small dishes, where people order myriad dishes at the same time and peck at them. It's interesting that State Bird is probably 70% by-the-glass because of the pace of dining. The whole impetus [at State Bird] is to get food on the table and get people eating, so there's not a lot of time to reflect on the list. It's a short list — very brief and to the point," he says. The style of food and wine ser- vice at The Progress favors bottle sales. Even though The Progress sells a lot of cocktails, it also sells the majority of its wine in bottle format. "The Progress is probably BEST WAREHOUSE/SHIPPING COMPANY 707.251.9990 www.biagibros.com Full-Service Logistics • Environmentally Conscious Customer Relationship Focused Carlsen & Associates 707-431-2000 "At Montelena, we look to hire intelligent operators, both as workers and as the vendors that fabricate and maintain our equipment. The crew at Carlsen not only builds some of the most intuitive, robust, and functional gear available, but they also bring the attitude and aptitude in their service to overcome the problems we face at critical times during the year." ....Continued.... Matthew Crafton, Winemaker Chateau Montelena Winery Calistoga, CA MARKET WATCH TIM TEICHGRAEBER