Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/818616
82 / the tasting panel / may 2017 The finished wine is tamer, softer and generously layered with notes of lemon budino pudding, yellow apple and lime zest set against a backdrop of fresh tropical fruit. Layer Cake is lighter in body and lower in acidity than its counterparts from New Zealand and the Loire; even so, it displays satisfying acidic cut and enough grapefruit-pith tartness to make it a good food wine. "It has great acidity and balance," Weichert continues. "You can just drink it. It's such a versatile wine; it doesn't need to be paired, and the quality is consistent. I think that's what appeals to me most. Sancerre can be overly herbaceous and acidic for some of our guests; that's not always what they want. The same is true with some of the Kiwi stuff; it can be really acidic. We pour Layer Cake Sauvignon Blanc as our house wine at one of our locations, and we feature it at happy hour at our Times Square location." A Wine for Food On the West Coast, Layer Cake Sauvignon Blanc is a favorite at Phans55, a sleek Vietnamese bistro in the heart of Irvine, California. Here, Layer Cake's Sauvignon Blanc is also a staple for proprietor Tom Phan, but for entirely different reasons. For him, it's a wine that complements the traditional Vietnamese fare of his wife, Suzie. "The restaurant came about by accident," Phan reminisces. "I used to own a software company and sold it to IBM in 2000." It was Phan's son, Ryan, who later convinced his parents that his mother's recipes should be shared with their community. "We wanted to bring Vietnamese cuisine to others." Since 2009, the Phans have opened two "We're looking for a white wine with good acidity and a touch of minerality. Above all, it has to be dry, clean and fresh. This is what we see in the Layer Cake Sauvignon Blanc." "We rely heavily on fresh herbs like lem- ongrass, Vietnamese mint, garlic and ginger," notes Tom Phan, proprietor of Phans55. PHOTO: MARGARET SOSS