Frontera Grill
Rick Bayless Does Wine Right, Too
River North · Chicago · Mexican · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
A Mexican restaurant that actually cares about wine — and not just as an afterthought. The list runs 75-100 bottles deep with a clear point of view: celebrate Mexican and Latin American producers while keeping the door open for smart international picks.
Selection Deep Dive
This is where Frontera earns its Wild Card badge. You'll find Valle de Guadalupe bottles sitting next to Alsatian Pinot Blanc and Central Otago Pinot Noir — an eclectic mix that somehow makes sense. The Mexico-forward approach is refreshing in a city where most restaurants default to the same Napa-Sonoma-Burgundy playbook. Alsace gets proper respect with Gustave Lorentz and Kessler Riesling, both smart choices for the bold, chile-forward menu. The list skews approachable with most bottles landing in the $50-65 range, though there are some gaps in the mid-tier Old World categories.
By the Glass
Six glasses is lean, but they're thoughtfully chosen. The 2023 Gustave Lorentz Pinot Blanc ($14) and Kessler Riesling are textbook picks for Mexican food — crisp, aromatic, built to handle spice. The Valle de Guadalupe pour ($15) gives you a taste of Mexico's wine country without committing to a full bottle. At $13-16, the pricing is fair for downtown Chicago.
2020 Foxglove Zinfandel, Paso Robles — $50
A $50 Zin that can stand up to carne asada and mole without breaking the bank — exactly what you want here
Valle de Guadalupe, B.C., Mexico
Most diners skip Mexican wine entirely, but Baja's wine country is producing serious stuff — this is your chance to try it without flying to Ensenada
2017 Peregrine Pinot Noir, Central Otago
At $65, it's the priciest bottle by the glass and Pinot rarely plays nice with bold Mexican flavors — save your money
2023 Gustave Lorentz Pinot Blanc, Alsace + Ceviche
Alsatian whites were born for citrus and seafood — the wine's stony minerality and bright acidity cut through lime and chile like a dream
🎲 The Bottom Line
Rick Bayless clearly put thought into this list, and it shows. The Mexico-centric approach is bold and overdue, markups are fair, and there's enough range to keep things interesting. Would we send a friend here for wine? Absolutely — especially if they're tired of drinking the same old Chardonnay with tacos.
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