The 5th Annual Wine Amplified Festival featuring THIRDEYEBLIND is a perfect blend of Wine , Music and a Beach

We have had the pleasure of attending most of the heralded Wine Amplified events over the last five years.  Each one of these events has its own personality and the 5th Wine Amplified festival was no different being unique in its own way.

Rock n Roll wines has been a real success story .  Chris Hammond while studying for his Sommelier Exam gathered his close friends together  to help him study wines.  They came up with the novel idea of listening and "pairing" wines with music.  Their Rock n Roll wine  events had beginnings in small venues and has grown into events in some of the "hipest" venues in town.  The Amplified  events in Las Vegas draw thousands to Mandalay Bay's  Beach for great wines , music and food.

This  years Wine Amplified  Festival featured THIRDEYEBLIND a group that is no stranger to any lover   of most types of music. In addition to this renown group , guests were treated with the sounds of Jarrod Gorbel and Locksley as the anticipation built for the main featured act to take the main stage.

The Main Stage was not the only source of entertainment.  The MJ Christensen Diamonds Lagoon featured wines such as Rock n Rolls own wines , Rhapsody and The Grotto as well as Conundrum , Dr Loosen  , Kim Crawford  and Estancia just to name a few.  With a stage of its own, The Marketplace Brothers and DJ Robert Oleysyck provided the guests with "tunes to sip by "

The Beach at Mandalay Bay Resort is known throughout the world for  its wave pool and flowing lazy river.  It is also the location of the main stage and even more wines.

Winemakers also attend these events in person.  Winemaker Stillman Brown of Red Zeppelin wines was  present and  pouring his 2006 Red Zeppelin Chardonnay , Red Zeppelin Vindication NV and his very delicious 2007 Zeppelin Syrah by Stillman Brown.

This unique venue provides a very laid back atmosphere to enjoy wines from all over the world and listen to great music  as they sit  , stand  or stroll through the sand and the water under a moonlit Las Vegas evening.

The Beach featured wines that are very well known.  Moet Hennesey and Domaine Chandon were are first stops as we walked down the beach.  Trinchero Wines had 14 wines for the guests to indulge their palates. If your type  of wine is SAKE , Sake One was in the house with their G-Joy and Moonstone Sakes for a taste of the Far East. TY KU also featured very nice Junmani Ginjo and Junmani Diaginjo as well.

The music was electrifying and the wines palate pleasing but no event would be complete without some great dishes.  Las Vegas is  well known world wide for its dining venues with award winning Chefs.  The Mandalay Bay is home to many of these  culinary stars. AUREOLE was on the beach with House Made Spicy Italian Sausage with caramelized onion , peppers and Chipotle sauce.




AUREOLE's very talented pastry Chef Megan Romano herself was serving a luscious Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter  Bar.

Chef Hubert Keller's Fleur de lys was showing off their best with  Cold Beef Salad with Granny Smith Apples and Horseradish that left everyone wanting more.

STRIPSTEAK was our next culinary stop on the beach and we enjoyed American Kobe Sliders with Fennel Slaw and Watercress that was a carnivores delight.

MIX which is very famous for their dishes and their view gave us a nice Red and Yellow Gazpacho with a Spicy Crab Salad that went well with a lovely Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc.

Our last culinary stop off was a touch of Asia with  Barbecued Pork Salt and Pepper Sea Bass from Shanghai Lilly

It was now time to take things upstairs for a view , food and of course more delicious wines.  The Land Rover Pinnacle Club at Moorea was well worth the walk as we were very well rewarded for our efforts.





We noticed  Rick Moonen's RM Seafood and ran,  not walked to their table across the Moorea pool  and were greeted by Chef Rick Moonen and Chef Adam Sobel in person serving some of this renowned restaurant's best sustainbale delights  from the sea as only they can do.

  

The wines at the Pinnacle Club were spectacular  with Cave De Lugny , Hoffman Family Cellars , Wagner Family wines and wine maker Richard Oh of OH and Otter cove wines  showing off his very nice new release , OH Syrah

Chris , Sonny and their entire staff did another spectacular job putting on an event like none other in the country.  The Mandalay's Beach , music , the food and wines all came together on a cloudless starry night in Las Vegas for a festival to be remembered.  Count us in for next year !

For more information about Rock n Roll wines and the Amplified Festivals please visit Rock n Roll Wines