Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/326040
june 2014 / the tasting panel / 69 Layer Cake by Becky Sue Epstein A UNIQUE PORTFOLIO OF WINES SHOWS OFF ITS VERSATILITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY "T he best thing about selling any Layer Cake Wines product is you're confident the guests will enjoy it. You have a ten- second window after you pop the cork. Ninety-nine percent of the time you'll get a thumbs up." This ringing endorsement comes from Las Vegas–based Wine Director Kyle Cardin, and it's even more interesting because he runs two different types of restaurants: the Asian-themed club-style Tao and the Italian-oriented Lavo Restaurant, which has a much broader clientele. "We can have 21-year-old bachelorettes, people closing business deals, families, gentlemen getting ready to go out to a night- club," Cardin explains. So how does he sell to all these customers? "It's all about making a personal recommendation. Staff members get behind the wine brand and the romance of the wine." PHOTO: MONA SHIELD PAYNE TP0614_034-71.indd 69 5/23/14 9:24 PM