More Vegas!!! And People Who Won’t Drink Red Wines in Summer are Sissies. So There.

And for the locals, I just received an email from some friends announcing the opening of a Farmers Market in North Las Vegas. Titled The North Las Vegas Harvest Market, following is an excerpt from the promotional piece:

The North Las Vegas Harvest Market will run year-round, rain or shine in two exciting locations. Thursday’s market time is 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., will take place on the City of North Las Vegas City Hall campus located right on busy Civic Center Drive (the site of the highly successful award winning annual event “Taste & Tunes”. Friday’s market time is 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., will take place at the beautiful Nature Discovery Park located in the Aliante Master Planned Community. Both locations have thousands of built in customers who have consistently requested a Farmer’s Market.

The North Las Vegas Harvest Market is sponsored by the City of North Las Vegas. The priority of this highly anticipated market is to promote community growth and development while allowing its citizens to enjoy upscale quality time together in a fun filled family atmosphere with the health conscience in mind. We invite you to enjoy!

 

There are all kinds of exciting things happening next week, so please stay tuned for updates. See ya then!

 

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Whew! Tastings and Food and More!

This last week has been incredibly busy, with new contacts, new experiences, new restaurants, and most importantly, the genesis of a new business.

First, there were a couple of tastings that I went to last week. Last Tuesday it was at Fleming’s (link to the right) which, although it is a national chain, has an incredibly high level of quality and consistency. They are hosting three “Nights of Discovery” wine tastings (July 10, 17, and 24) which are free to invitees, and which showcase five of the wines that they are introducing to their “Fleming’s 100” wine list. As always, I was not disappointed at the quality of the wines, the quality of the service, or the quality of the appetizers. My companion and I had dinner before the tasting, and found it to be up to Fleming’s usual high standards. Once again, it’s one of my “go to” places for a nice, stress-free meal. If you have an opportunity to stop by, look for Taylor the wine guy. He’s knowledgeable and proud of Fleming’s offerings and the enthusiasm that is generated.

Fleming’s is located at 8721 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89117. Their phone number is (702) 838-4774

Another choice find in the world of local restaurants is a Sushi restaurant in Henderson called Sushi Wa. What a nice place!

Sushi Wa is very modern looking and, unfortunately, is quite hidden in the strip mall. But the food!

The presentation was beautiful on all dishes, and the portions were generous. The prices were incredible. We shared Edamame and “Firecracker” appetizers, a small house Sake, a 911 Roll (very spicy), and a Sunset Roll. We finished up with a green tea ice cream, and the total for the meal came to a little over $42.00 for two people. That included the tax, so we could be generous with the tip. I thought that the prices on their Sashimi was a little high until the waitress (lovely Ahnna, who is a student at UNLV and sharp as they come) pointed out that seven pieces are served instead of the traditional three/four. Delicious, and worth seeking out.

Sushi Wa is located at 790 Coronado Center Drive, Suite 125 in Henderson. That is right off of Eastern just north of Horizon Ridge. Their telephone number is (702) 263-8973.

Those were the two eating out high points of the week. I had breakfast at Jimmy’s on Saturday, but because that’s ALWAYS good (another wonderful meal at Jimmy’s. Ho hum.) it’d be redundant. Meals are always great a Jimmy’s who’s a nut for quality and flavor.

I’d like to introduce y’all to Chuck Montcrieff, the owner of Vegas Wine News (http://vegaswinenews.com), who contacted me last week. We have a similar mission: We want people to know that we have great wines and restaurants here in Sin City, and they’re not necessarily on the Strip. Chuck is articulate, passionate about his wines, and a wonderful writer. We shared wine and restaurant experiences, and I’m happy to place a link to his site on the blog.

As far as the business of the Vegas Wineaux, there will be more to report. The update on the Vegas Wineaux website is that it is now scheduled to launch on the weekend of August 4/5. As you know, real life has a way of interfering with plans, especially if real life is wrapped tightly in red tape! So stay tuned for the launch. We are working diligently ensuring that the information on the site is interesting, entertaining, and will bring you back for more.

Until next week!

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Dinners and Reviews and Wines! Oh My!

Thanks to everyone for the fun comments and responses I received on my Two Buck Chuck issue. Yes, we’re all still spinning from that one!

The first thing I’d like to address is that we’re undergoing a big change. Due to work stresses, the regular updates will no longer be on Thursdays, but will happen on the weekends. It is during that time that I really have the time and bandwidth to be able to sit and write. For at least the next two months, my weekday schedule (i.e., “the day job”) is going to be too busy to allow me to be able to update the Blog in a timely fashion at any other time other than weekends.

Another thing I’d like to share with you is that I’m still busily (as time allows!) working on the website for Vegas Wineaux and the Experience. Curious? More to follow later!

It is so important to me that I receive lots of feedback from the local folks, and after much begging, I received an informal review of a local restaurant! Because of the positive comments made by someone whose taste in food and the finer things I trust, there will be a link on the blog page for people to access and use as a resource.

Thanks to Michael Breyer!

First, Michael’s review:

Oh my God!!!! What an ethereal experience! We started with spectacular Dirty Vodka Martinis. The next indulgence was a 2000 Bordeaux. The salad was a special seasonal Caprese. Instead of beefsteak tomatoes, it had very tender heirloom tomatoes and was served in a “cocktail” shaped glass. The Chateaubriand that I shared with my daughter was cooked perfectly, and the accompanying potatoes and vegetables were a wonderful complement to the meat. The ambiance was perfect and although the table was not isolated, the room was not congested or noisy and I had a sense of privacy. The three-member wait staff for our table of six was incredibly attentive. The change from the previous restaurant in the same space was remarkable. The tariff is not inexpensive, but of very good value. I cannot wait to return to insure that this was not an isolated experience. I really doubt that this is different than every dining adventure in Hanks.

Hank’s replaced Bullshrimp, which was one of the original restaurants in place when Green Valley Ranch Station opened a few years ago. Although the prices have been compared to those on the Strip, I understand that the food and ambiance is perfect for locals who long for the Strip experience from time to time but who don’t want to fight their way through tourist crowds.

Hank’s is located in the Green Valley Ranch Station, 2300 Paseo Verde Parkway in Henderson. The restaurant’s reservation number is (702) 617-7515. Enjoy! And be sure to share any experiences you may have with this or other spots. As you can see, excruciating detail is not necessary, just an overall review of the quality of the food, the service, and the experience.

I had two dinners this week that were extraordinary, and both took place at restaurants I love.

The first one was last Tuesday, July 10, at Marché Bacchus when the Fritz & Tex’s Wine Club Thing (I think that designation is semi-official!) met for its biannual (?) dinner. We had six bottles to blind taste along with the usual wonderful fare. Tex always takes wonderful notes at each tasting, and this was no exception. Here are his notes, only slightly edited:

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Notes from our July 10 meeting at Marché Bacchus: There were 13 members & 2 guests who attended the blind wine tasting & dinner. Special thanks to our host, Gregoire Verge, who is the owner & proprietor of Marché Bacchus, & Robb Horesovsky, Wine Director, who selected 3 whites & 3 reds for us to taste “blind”. They also chose 2 additonal red wines to enjoy with dinner. Cal Oliver also brought a red wine from his collection for the group to taste “blind.”

Wine #1 was almost clear in color with aromas of flowers, flint, wet slate, peaches, pears & limes; flavors of lemons, limes & pears & wet slate with a long finish of lemon-lime & minerals. The group thought this was either a Riesling Kabinett from Germany or an Austrian Gruner Veltliner. This was the 2004 Abbaye de Marmoutie Vouvray Clos de Rougemont, Loire Valley, France — 12% alcohol — $22. (Irene’s note: It’s the only bone-dry Vouvray I’ve ever had. Very interesting wine.)

Wine #2 was clear in color with aromas of petroleum, minerals & ripe white fruits; flavors of oak, lemon, grapefruit, green apples, kumquats & ripe white fruits with a citrus finish. We thought this was a 2005 Pinot Gris from Oregon. This was the 2005 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc (81%)/Viognier (19%), Clarksburg, CA — 12.6% — $12.

Wine #3 was very pale straw yellow with aromas of petroleum, oak, butterscotch, pears, smoke & spices; flavors of pears, oak & butterscotch. We thought this was a New World Chardonnay, probably from South America. This was the 2005 Gruet Chardonnay, New Mexico — $16.

Wine #4 was light cherry red in color with clean aromas of cherries, strawberries & magnesium; flavors of dried cherries & leather with light tannins. We thought this was a Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, Chateauneuf du Pape or Pinot Noir. This was the non-vintage Rouge par Badie, Bordeaux, France, a blend of 80% Merlot & 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, created for a lightdrinking summer wine — 13% — $13. At least we were in the correct country!!

Wine #5 was dark purple-red in color with aromas of plums, dark fruits, roses, violets, smoke, oak, spices & cocoa; flavors of plums & spice with higher alcohol & well balanced acid & tannins. We guessed this was a Syrah from CA or Australia. This was the 2003 Hurricane Ridge Syrah, WA — 13% — $16.

Wine #6 was red-purple in color with aromas of light red fruits, blackberries, oak, spice, nuts, cola & yeast; flavors of light red fruits, blackberries, cola, cinnamon, licorice & dark chocolate with good acid, big tannins & a long finish. We thought this was a CA Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. This was the wine that Cal brought in from his collection: the 2004 Casa Nuestra Tinto Classico Old Vines, Oakville, Napa Valley, CA — 14.3%. The wines are a field blend of several unknown varieties, one of which is probably Old Vines Zinfandel. Many thanks, Cal, for treating us to this wine.

Wine #7 was dark purple-red in color with vegetal aromas of dried red fruits, blueberries, oak, musty dried leather & dried flowers; flavors of cherries, dried red fruits, anise & dried leather with well-balanced acid & tannins. This tasted better than it smelled. We thought it was a 2003-04 Italian Chianti or a French red Burgundy. This was the 2003 Morambo Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Padthaway, Australia — 14.0% — $23.

The two wines that we enjoyed with dinner were the 2003 Les Baux de Provence Mas de Gourgonnier, Provence, France — 12.5% — $21. The other wine was a 2003 Cep Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, CA — 14.8% — $25. There were no notes taken on these last two wines.

Although we did not take an official vote on our favorites wines of the night, we heard several favorable comments about the Hurricane Ridge Syrah and the Cep Pinot Noir. (Irene’s note: The Syrah was rich, toothstaining, fruity, and, apparently, unfiltered. The Pinot was more Burgundian in style and needed to open before revealing its very nice Pinot characteristics.)

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The second dinner I attended was the evening of Friday the 13th at Café Bleu, the restaurant that is managed by the students of Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Summerlin. Hosted by the Las Vegas chapter of the American Wine Society, it was an enjoyable and entertaining evening. Kudos to Andy Ashbaugh for making sure that everything ran so smoothly. Because I don’t want to make this week’s issue too long, I will give the review of that dinner in next week’s entry. Meanwhile, contact the school for their prices and enjoy the experience of having students (who work very, very hard) hone their skills and make your dining an experience to remember.

From the Why Reinvent the Wheel Dept. – a wine blog that I like to read is called Vinography and is well written by an extremely talented man named Alder Yarrow. About a month ago he published a review on the Hospice du Rhône in Paso Robles. Rather than give a review of his review, Click Here to read his review entitled Syrah Around The World: Tasting at Hospice du Rhone 2007. I want to attend it next year, but the word “Zoo” keeps rearing its head in my mind!

I Get Letters! – Thanks to Fritz for turning me on to John Curtas, the food reporter for the local public radio station, KNPR. I have to admit that I’ve spent quite a bit of time listening to his very entertaining reviews of local Vegas eateries. He’s funny, blunt, entertaining, and has an amazing talent with adjectives. His link is on the right side, newly added, and not to be missed by anyone wanting to dine in Vegas.

Stay tuned for more information on the upcoming website, the Vegas Wineaux Experience, and more!

And, as they used to say “back in the day,” Keep Those Cards and Letters Coming!

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An Unlikely Win and Old Faves

I couldn’t believe my lyin’ eyes. This couldn’t be true, could it?

My topic this week was/is “wines we’re embarrassed to admit that we like.” In my wildest dreams, I didn’t believe that real life would give me a hand in putting together this entry.

First of all, I subscribe to a bunch of stuff. I receive emails daily on what’s going on out there in the worlds of wine, food, and Vegas. I almost always have *something* to talk about each week.

I read a byline in the list of items from the July 4 mailing of the Sacramento Bee. And what I read absolutely stunned me. Published on the online version of the Bee was the following:

Dunne on wine: What’s up? ‘Two Buck Chuck‘ the state’s best?

What does that mean? That means that the ubiquitous Two Buck Chuck (that’s Charles Shaw, available only at Trader Joe’s) Chardonnay won double gold medal at the California State Fair wine tasting. Better than every other California Chardonnay.

I was stunned. Absolutely stunned. So I felt it was my moral duty to do something about it. “Something” included stopping at Trader Joe’s and picking up a bottle of the double gold medal winner.

It didn’t look good. Even though I don’t have to, I decided to protect the names of the persons who commented on my choice of wine as I carried it, label carefully hidden from view while tucked under my arm: “I won’t even use it for cooking.” “You are buying that?!? What’s wrong with you?!?” “I’d be embarrassed to be seen buying that.”

Not exactly an encouraging, auspicious beginning. But because I’m willing to sacrifice for the cause of the best bang for the buck, I forged ahead, accompanied by my oldest son, Zach. We socialized with the folks there, Zach ran into an old friend, and we just visited for a while. Then it was time to go. “You go ahead and go through the checkout stand, Mom. I left my wallet in the car. Yeah, that’s it! I left my wallet in the car.” I felt abandoned even by my own son.

I put the bottle in the fridge to cool off while we kicked back and enjoyed a Paso Robles duo of Josephina Syrah Rosé and Opolo Mountain Zin, along with our Caprese (home grown basil, tomatoes, and “perlini” (small mozzarella balls), unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and a sprinkling of Mediterranean black salt) and hickory-smoked boneless leg of lamb. Delish. Oh, we finished with a patriotic dessert of sliced strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream. After all, it *was* July 4!

I asked Zach if he was ready to try the 2BC (that’s Two Buck Chuck for you newbies), and he took a deep breath and said, “Okay.” I opened up the bottle (real cork!), poured it into our glasses, and we peeked, swirled, sniffed, and tasted. Well. As someone who’s a Chardonnay snob (see the entry I made two weeks ago), there’s no way I could say that this was the best Chard in California. In the glass, the first thing I noticed was that it was very light, more like a Sauv Blanc than a Chard. The aroma was Chardonnayish enough, but the palate was, um, *disjointed* at best. And unlike the person at Trader Joe’s, I feel that it *can* be used for cooking! It’d make a decent enough Picatta reduction.

The best that we could do was to come up with the following opinions:

1. It doesn’t completely suck.
2. The judges were smokin’ crack.
3. Every single judge got paid off.
4. It was the last wine of the day and they hadn’t been spitting.
5. The judges were ringers.
6. They felt guilty about always awarding medals to the best wines.
7. They really thought it was the best Chard in California. (That’s just so bizarre on so many levels).
8. It wasn’t really 2BC in the bottle. They actually filled it with Cakebread.
9. The tasting must have taken place on April 1.

The link to Mike Dunne’s article is to the right of this column. I’m sure that you will enjoy his disbelief as much as we did!

On to the topic at hand. There are a few things that I learned last weekend. One of them is that we Wineauz (like that?) still have a special affection for the fluid that “got us started” into wines. Unless, of course, we got started with 2BC. But I digress.

It was the regular Tex & Fritz’s Wine Club Thing’s lunch at Marché Bacchus. I had almost forgotten (errands, etc.), but as I drove past Regatta, I suddenly remembered the luncheon and made what was probably an illegal turn into the street so that I could meet everyone.

I was happy to see the crew there, and I was asked what I was planning for this week’s entry. Of course I shared!

Confessions abounded.

I admitted that my first “wine” - other than my grandmother’s pear wine - was, like most people of my generation, Boone’s Farm. In my case, it was Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill, but with about 14 or so flavors to choose from, it can fill anybody’s need for a fruity, artificially-flavored wine. Once I realized that wasn’t *really* wine, I moved on to the real stuff. Mogen David White Concord. A few bottles of MD, some crazy friends, and stack of Redd Foxx records can make for a fun night if you’re snowed in. Oh, I’m originally from Philly, which is why I live in Vegas.

My next discovery was “Chablis.” If I went out on the town, I usually ordered “white wine,” or, specifically, “Chablis.” It was tasty enough, and I could hold a glass in one hand and a cigarette in the other and look very cool and sophisticated. No, I’ve never smoked cigarettes, but it was the *image* that counted. During those years, having a cigarette between your fingers automatically shouted “cool chick” to the opposite sex. Hey! I’m almost a Senior Citizen, so I’m accurately reporting the correct slang!

I went through a wine wilderness period where ignorance was the theme. I knew enough not to serve wine on the rocks (seven years of bartending instilled that into the deepest reaches of my psyche), but other than just drinking out of a “wine glass,” I didn’t know where to start. So White Zin was the drink of choice, occasionally supplemented with Merlot or the “house red” wine. The rest, as they say, is history.

What were some of the wines that made an impression on the others? Lancers, for one. Reunite on ice. Boone’s Farm’s many flavors. Mogen David, or, worse, MD 20/20. Ripple. Manischewitz. And the current favorite beginner “wine,” Arbor Mist. We were suitably embarrassed as we compared our old favorites. Gidget had an interesting commentary on her experience with 2BC. “Smelled good. Tasted like s**t.” We laughed, and then began to focus on the wines we’d be blind tasting. (2003 Domaine de Penouillet, Beaumes de Vinese, Cotes du Rhone Village and 2003 Rutherford Hill Merlot. I bombed the first one but knew the second was at least Merlot based. Sheesh.).

Much later I realized that if not for those old favorites, many of us may never have discovered “real” wines. And, although I know I’m speaking heresy here, sometimes a cheap wine is the only way to go.

I’m not about to open a bottle of my Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir to use as a reduction for my caramelized mushrooms. However, an inexpensive bottle of something that is relatively characteristic works just fine. All I need is the wine. Nuances aren’t important.

If I have visitors who don’t care for the impact of a good solid red or who are hanging out during a typical superheated Vegas summer day, then sometimes pulling the cork on a bottle of White Zin (or pulling the spigot from a box) is the only way to go. We’re talking about folks whose favorite wine is, in no uncertain terms, White Zin. It is (last I heard) the best selling varietal and is what saved the Zinfandel grape from almost certain extinction. What can impress many of these folks is White Zin on the rocks with a spritz of soda and a sprig of mint. A refreshing summer drink that even the most die-hard wine cynic can enjoy. So, as you can see, even these wines have their place in the Wineaux’s cellar.

Just stay away from my Kosta Browne.

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