Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/17414
W is for Wine in Westwood L Vern Lakusta, Food and Beverage Director, the W Hotel Westwood. An integral part of any wine education, Lakusta emphasizes to his staff that the key to knowing wine is tasting wine, so THE TASTING PANEL recently put Lakusta to the test as part of our Italian Wine Write-Off (see opposite). Lakusta loved the chal- lenge of framing his tasting notes in a creative way, and will be entered to win an amazing Grand Prize. Read his entry below, and get started on your own out-of-the-box tasting notes now! An Ode to Barone Fini Pinot Grigio Valdadige by Vernon Lakusta It’s crisp, it’s dry A great glass on a hot day Ripe fruit flavors of crisp green apples A great acid balance and full, long, lingering finish A great pair with our caramelized Brussels sprouts! by Rachel Burkons / photos by Maria Schriber os Angeles may be a sprawling metropolis that lacks one single cultural or intellectual center, but there is one part of the city that’s a veritable college town: Westwood, home of the UCLA Bruins and a neighborhood known for an array of fashionable shops, great restaurants and fun, blue-and-gold-filled bars. In the midst of frat row, the W Hotel Westwood is a beacon of chic, elegant calm—usually. “It can get a little crazy around here,” admits Vern Lakusta, the property’s newly-appointed Director of Food and Beverage. “The pool during the summer can be quite the scene.” Frat boy shenanigans aside, Lakusta is hard at work craft- ing one of the finest wine programs in this part of Los Angeles, always with the customer in mind. “First and foremost, wine should be approachable,” says Lakusta of his wine list philosophy. “The way I see it, there are three kinds of customers. First, there are the people who shop for recognition and the name and region they know and are comfortable with; then there are the people who are a little more price conscious; and then, there are those looking for something more unique.” In order to accom- modate these three categories of consumers, Lakusta relies on his staff to be the eyes and ears of the wine program, and in order to keep these up-and-coming Poggio alle Sughere Morellino di Scansano from Lionello Marchesi is one of Lakusta’s favorites. “Candied cherries with earthy hints and light tannins stood out, and I ordered our Mediterranean lamb skewers. It was the perfect match,” says Lakusta. aficionados in the know—many of his staffers are UCLA students—education is key. “We have monthly staff educa- tion classes, and they are extremely important,” explains Lakusta. “And it’s great because a lot of these kids want to learn, and we can help them discover what they like. Then, once they have passion for the wines, it’s easy for them to talk about, and easy for them to sell.” october 2010 / the tasting panel / 59