Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/856981
august 2017 / the tasting panel / 65 That's what I love about Town. You give your customers what they want. What a vision! No "statements" or "concepts." We determined immediately that we would be an American menu and wine list. We would never list a menu item that had to be overly explained. We just wanted to have great food, great wine and be full every day for lunch and dinner. Is it really only American wines? California, Oregon and Washington. We do have a few high- end French Champagnes, but that's it. Our motto is "Eat American," and the wine list reflects that. Let me guess, California is by far your biggest seller. Of course! By a huge margin! Hey, we live here. But Oregon is making a real statement in our sales, and Washington is making some noise. I really get this wine list. These are excellent wineries and a few eclectic ones, but most of the wineries here would be recognized by the major- ity of consumers. I also note that your pricing is fair. There are some great values on the list, and your corkage policy is beyond reasonable. All true. We want our customers to enjoy their wine of choice at a fair price. Our corkage policy is $20 per bottle, but limited to two bottles per customer. Even if the wine is currently on our list. What is the mix of red to white sold? Sixty percent red to forty percent white. Pinot Noir is our bestselling variety, but Cabernet Sauvignon is a close second. Chardonnay is easily our bestselling white, but Sauvignon Blanc is really making a move. So, I brought this lovely Faustino 2010 Rioja Reserva for you to taste, just to make the day interesting. Where else can you get great wines with age for such great prices? I don't get many opportunities to taste Spanish wines. This is Tempranillo in the classic style. Ruby with a touch of garnet from the age, great ripe fruit and a big finish. Well, California was once a Spanish colony. Maybe one day there will be some room on your list! What has surprised you about drinking patterns recently? Rosé. We are expanding our selection on both the list and by the glass. The price points are fantastic. How many wines by the glass do you have? Twenty-five, split about in half with a few sparkling. We change with the seasons. We feature three-, six- and nine-ounce pours. How do you train staff? We have a weekly quiz and talk about wines with specials at our waitstaff lineup. We also invite our suppliers and distributors to present wines on a weekly basis. So, no somms on the floor? No, our waitstaff handles all wine sales, with the manager helping out where needed. I'm proud to say that the average tenure here is four years. I have one staff member who has been here 21 years. What does Frankie drink? Believe it or not, I went from my first glass to exclusively red wines. About eight years ago, I got into full- bodied white wines, so Chardonnay has become my main choice. How many covers daily? Lunch is 150 to 200. Dinner is 350 to 400. Brunch is our biggest event, at about 450. What needs to change about the world of wine? Take away all the pretention. Make the everyday wine drinker feel interested, not intimidated. "We determined immediately that we would be an American menu and wine list," says Sanchez—here breaking from policy with a bottle of 2010 Faustino Rioja Reserva. "We would never list a menu item that had to be overly explained. We just wanted to have great food, great wine and be full every day for lunch and dinner."