Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/793596
march 2017 / the tasting panel / 7 Brad Goldberg, Managing Partner at San Mateo's Vault 164, has been in the service industry for over 30 years. Five years ago, he and his partners recognized the ripening scene in the downtown area of this Silicon Valley enclave and converted a bank building into an upscale casual restaurant. Vault 164 serves American contemporary cuisine in a high-energy, vaulted-ceiling ambiance that has kept many of the bank's original features. "Our front desk is the old safe from the night box drop," says Goldberg. Since opening in the heart of downtown San Mateo, Vault 164 has also served as the figura- tive heart of the area to locals and businesspeople alike. Goldberg curates the wine list, which, according to him, is a good fit for the clientele and the community. Says Goldberg, "We're not in San Francisco, where you can't be eclectic enough. We have what I think is a happy medium of familiar wines priced considerably with some higher end too. . . Layer Cake is one of those familiar wines." In fact, Goldberg has such faith in Layer Cake that he recently placed the newly released rosé in his by-the-glass program. "I want a wine people will drink," he says. "I don't want wines that are going to sit in a box in a wine cellar that don't move and are there just because I think it's a cool wine. My wines by the glass have to be wines people want, recognize and will enjoy—and order over and over again. Layer Cake absolutely fits that requirement." The versatile Layer Cake Rosé makes it a great match for several of Vault 164's eclectic menu items, but says Goldberg, "I really like this rosé for our chicken. The dish is very juicy and flavorful, so it really needs something crisp and cool but with a lot of flavor to stand up to the roasted character . . . And we sell a lot of chicken." Another reason for Goldberg's faith in the new Layer Cake release is simply because of the company it keeps. Other wines from the Hundred Acre Wine Group's portfolio have been among his biggest sellers, according to Goldberg. "Truthfully one of the things that drew me to the Layer Cake Rosé, as it's only been out a week or two, is because I carry two Hundred Acre wines: the Cherry Pie Stanly Ranch Pinot Noir and the If You See Kay Red Blend. We're selling a case of the If You See Kay every two weeks—of an Italian Cabernet!—and outside of the Cabs we pour by the glass, the If You See Kay Cabernet outsells everything. Our servers love to sell it because it has an interesting story, and it's reasonable. It doesn't cost as much as other high-end Cabs, and people really think they're getting an interesting wine, which they are. Then, when they see that bottle come to the table, they look at it and just go, 'Holy smokes!' Same goes for Cherry Pie. It's a little pricier so a tad trickier to sell, but it does really well too. The Hundred Acre Wine Group is a trustworthy and interesting group of wines." Goldberg, a red-blooded man who "admits" to enjoying rosé also happens to be wearing pink in these pictures, a move that may or may not be intentional. But we can be sure his decision to serve Layer Cake Rosé by the glass is actually quite calculated. Layer Cake 2016 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Central Coast ($15) Fresh strawberries (leaves and all), white raspberries and watermelon rind play against a pineapple-like citrusy background, expressed in a silky, tightly packed medium body. Pour this into some sort of plastic bag and stick a straw in it—that's how easy it is to drink, but please don't put in a slushy; this Californian Central Coast rosé deserves better than that. –J. B. "My wines by the glass have to be wines people want, recognize and will enjoy—and order over and over again. Layer Cake absolutely fits that requirement."