VINO LAS VEGAS LLC goes High Definition ( HD )

VINO LAS VEGAS LLC is proud to announce that we have upgraded to High Definition ( HD ) video. There is a very big difference in sound , lighting and picture


quality. We have had requests from other broadcast media like television to move to High Definition to make it easier for them to use in their format. Our readers and supporters of VINO LAS VEGAS LLC deserve the best that we can provide and we have always tried to accommodate as much as possible. We hope you enjoy the Upgraded lights, sound , and video of VINO LAS VEGAS as we take you with us inside some great events and trips. There is much more to come and this is just the beginning .

Elaine from VINO Las Vegas attends a private tasting of the Right Bank of Bordeaux

One of the highlights of attending
Showcase 2008 was attending the
private wine tasting organized by
Regency Wines and Sopexa.




The Right Bank wines from Saint Emilion , Fronsac and Pomerol
were all featured as well as many of the winemakers themselves.
Charlie Palmer's Stirling Club at Turnberry Place provided the
class and sophistication that this event required.





When we arrived that the event we could not help but be impressed by the large marble staircase and a Grand Piano at the entrance to the club. We walked into the ballroom and our eyes were intimidately drawn to the wines lined up at a table in front of us.





As we walked over to the table we started
to read the labels. Chataeu Cotes De Puyblanquet , Chateau Franc Grace-Dieu,
Chateau La Valade Canon Fronsac ,
Chateau Lagrange , Chateau La Gravette De Certan Pomerol 04 which happens to
be the 2nd label of Vieux Chateau Certan.


We continued to walk down the line of these great wines of Bordeaux and
noticed Chateau Moulin de Lavaud and Clos des Menuts Saint-Emilion Grand Cru.

The name Bordeaux derives from au bord de l' eau meaning " along the waters" The food , wine and venue provided all that were invited a very special evening with some very special wines.

Join Elaine from VINO LAS VEGAS as she takes you inside this private visit to the Right Bank of Bordeaux

Master Sommelier William Sherer Wine Director of Aureole speaks about Aureole and wine list diversity

We have met Master Sommelier William Sherer on many
occasions. When we found out he was going to be speaking at The Regency Wines Showcase 2008 we had to stop by.

It is always an educational experience to listen to William as
he speaks about Food and Wine. William is currently Wine
Director at Charlie Palmer's Aureole located at the Mandalay Bay.

William graduated in 1998 from the Court of Master Sommelier after being a wine lover from a young age.

On this occasion he gave a great talk about balancing boutique diversity with brand name consistency.

Join us here at VINO LAS VEGAS as we watch highlights from this very informative talk.

VINO LAS VEGAS attends the Regency Wines and Praml International Trade Tasting Showcase 2008

Vino Las Vegas has written about many
aspects of the Food , Wine and Travel
Industry in the past. We have taken our
readers to harvest , crush and punchdowns in the wineries and vineyards
of California. We have taken you with us
as we attended many wine and food events
throughout the country as well.




One very important and often over looked
aspect of wine is the Distributor. We have
seen how wine is made and we have all
enjoyed many of those wines in restaurants
and wine shoppes all over the world.




Obviously the wine had to get from the winery to the final location and that is where the distributor comes into focus. These companies are responsible for " placing " wines into the restaurants and wine shoppes.


One of the distributors in Las Vegas is Regency Wines headed by Bruno
Laclotte. He has spent most of his life in France and has worked at
some of the reputable wineries in
Bordeaux and Champagne. Bruno
founded Regency wines in 1995.




For this event Regency Wines paired
up with Praml International that
provided a large selection of
gourmet foods for the event





This event was for the "Trade" meaning people who are in the
Food and Wine industry. This was a great way for Regency Wines
to show off their portfolio to the wine buyers and for Praml
International to show off for the Chefs.





This was a two day event like we have never seen in the trade.
Bruno stated to VINO LAS VEGAS to his knowledge an event of
this type and size has never been done in the past. We were surprised at the scope of this two day event. There were guest
speakers throughout both days. Master Sommelier William Sherer of Aureole and Jeff Eichelberger Sommelier of RM Seafood both gave very informative talks about wine and sustainability.




We had flashbacks of walking the
streets of Paris as we moved down
row after row of fresh gourmet food
of all types highlighted by wines from all over the world.






On the evening of the first day we were not
done yet when we were invited to attend a
private wine tasting organized by Regency
Wines and Sopexa. We had the opportunity
to taste Right Bank wines from Saint Emilion , Fronsac and Pomerol with many of the winemakers present. This event was held at the Palatial Trunberry Place at Charlie Palmer's Stirling Club.





When this two day event was over we felt like we had just spent the weekend in France. And in away we did ! We raise our glass of Champagne and say Cheers to a job well done to Regency , Praml and their entire staffs. We only have one question , will there be a Showcase 2009 ? Keep checking back .

Join us as we take you with us and walk the streets of Paris for two days
without ever leaving Las Vegas. This is a great chance to see an inside look at the Food and Wine Industry.

Join VINO LAS VEGAS Sep 13th at Marche Bacchus for a VIP tasting from 'Winemakers from Around the World "

The VIP tasting will be held at

Marche Bacchus

2620 Regatta Dr.
Las Vegas

Saturday, September 13th

2-5pm

$40 per person pre-sale
$50 at the door

The event includes tastings of over 50 wines, Hors D'oeuvres and

discounted pricing on wine ordered that night!

For the reservations hotline call
***-***-****
For questions call
310-375-4317 or email
kl@4winesplusmore.com !
Book ASAP as there is limited availability!!

Taste the Prendiville cab rated 96 pts!

Meet personally:
Van Loveren-Robertson, South Africa
Danelle van Rensburg- Winemaker and voted as one of the top 6 woman winemakers of South Africa!

Santa Monica- Rapel Valley, Chile

Ian Hutcheon of Santa Monica

Sandalford- Margaret River, Western Australia
Grant Brinklow- CEO of Sandalford Estate

Ceja Estate- Napa, CA

Dalia Ceja

Silkwood- Modesto, CA

John Monich- Winemaker

Taste the Pinotage Reserve, the best South Africa produces!

Taste the Pinot Noir poured by the glass at the French Laundry in Napa!

Taste the Syrah rated 98 pts!

Taste the exceptional Zany Zin old vine Zinfandel from Lodi!

Olives at the Bellagio is a stop for VINO LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas has many fine dining restaurants that are known world wide. If we have to say something we dont like about dining
in Las Vegas is that many of these great restaurants on the strip
are not open for lunch. On many occasions we have been hungry and really no place available to eat except fast food or a casino
food court.



The great thing about Restaurant Week is you are not only helping people who are not
as fortunate but finding new places to dine.






We have heard about Todd English's Olives located in the Bellagio many times over the years. But with so many great places to dine it takes time to get around to them all.

This is great fine dinning restaurant and it is even open for lunch. We enjoyed a fabulous lunch on the patio over looking the famous Bellagio Fountains. We will be back for dinner and enjoy the same view of the fountains and the "strip" under the neon for dinner.

Join Elaine from VINO LAS VEGAS as she shows you the view and a few other surprises that pop up during lunch

VINO LAS VEGAS enjoys Clos I ' Eglise Cotes de Castillon 2001 Bordeaux at T-Bones in the Red Rock Resort Casino

Its been a while since we wrote about a wine that has really stood out for us. As many of you know we are not Food and Wine critics and are proud to say that. VINO LAS VEGAS is about
Food , Wine and Travel appreciation. Many in the industry respect us for that.

We recently stopped in at T-Bones located in the Red Rock Resort and Casino in Summerlin. This is a beautiful restaurant with its large bar, fire pits , and even patio dinning provides a great background for a fine dining experience and we will be back again. The food was what we expected and one of the best we have had off the strip in a while. We looked at their very large wine list and found the Clos 1 Eglise Cotes de Castillon Bordeaux 2001 which we had to try.

The minute the bottle was opened and placed in the decanter you could smell the nose on this wine. As it opened up over the next 90 mins it only got better and paired well with seafood as well as steak.

The Vineyard was purchased by Gerard Perse (of Chateau Pavie) and Dr. Alain Raynaud (of Quinault l’Enclos)It is a typical Bordeaux blend from 70% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The vineyard is crop-thinned as well as de-leafed, and, as one might expect, the wine making and upbringing are impeccable. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, it exhibits a dense ruby/purple color in addition to a sumptuous perfume of black fruits intermixed with hints of lead pencil shavings, new oak, and earth.

A little more research reviled it was aged in 100% new french oak for 18 months. The size of the vineyard is about 16 hectares and the vines average 33 years. We are always on the look out for a needle in a haystack in a wine list of this size. We found a very special treat with the Clos l Eglise Cotes de Castillon Bordeaux 2001

VINO LAS VEGAS stops at Cafe Bleu for the American Wine Society Ampelos Wine Dinner

The Amercian Wine Society is a national organization that promotes wine education and appreciation. VINO LAS VEGAS is
a member of the Las Vegas Chapter.

We have attended many events at Cafe Bleu at Le Cordon Bleu
College of Culinary Arts located in Summerlin and they always
do a fantastic job. The students run Cafe Bleu under the guidance
of faculty which are tops in their field.











We knew this was an event we were not going to miss when our good friends Peter and Rebecca Work of Ampelos wines were hosting a wine dinner at Cafe Bleu











Ampelos is a family owned vineyard that is located in the Sta. Rita Hills. Many of our long time readers know that VINO LAS VEGAS travels to this area often to cover wine events
and help with Harvest and Crush.

Ampelos produces Pinot Noir , Syrah, Viognier , Rose , Grenache and a blend they call Syrache. We have sampled all of these wines and feel they really stand out as some of the best in the area.


On this occasion , the wines came to us as we enjoyed a dinner that the Chefs took great care in pairing. One of the most interesting aspects of
the food and wine pairings is that the Chef paired the wines in reverse order.








For example, in most wine dinners the Chef will pair the first course with
something lighter like a Sauvignon Blanc with some type of salad or appetizer. They usually work their way course by course each time getting a little heavier and more complex and finish with a Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah.






In this case the Chefs started us off with a salad paired with the Ampelos
Syrah and finished with their Rose of Syrah. In our opinion, this was
risky but as usual Chef Carlos's plan worked well.








Peter Work spoke to the guests and told them about the journey he and Rebecca took from the Corporate world to owning the vineyard. They have an amazing story we will share with our readers in the near future. It is truly an inspiring story that we are sure you will enjoy.




Peter and Chef Carlos each spoke between courses about the wines and why they were paired with that specific course. The students as always
took the lead providing us with great service both "infront" and in the
"back of the house"

Many of the students go on to work and later manage in some of the worlds well known restaurants here in Las Vegas. They learn from the best at Le Cordon Bleu and progress into the Culinary world and have careers working for Chefs that are renowned.













After the Dinner Peter Work shared his wine and knowledge with
the eagar students. Peter has always been very generous with his
time when it comes to sharing knowledge about vineyard management , wine growing and the wine making process.

Join Elaine and Scott from VINO LAS VEGAS as we take you into
Cafe Bleu , enjoy great food , wine and have a conversation with
Peter Work.