Primo’s Steakhouse at the Suncoast
July 22, 2008 by vegasrenie · Leave a Comment
The plans for the evening had been made a week or so beforehand, and I was anticipating this special occasion. I’d already had a wonderful evening of blind wine tasting the night before (Score: Wines-5, Irene-1) and was ready to enjoy some good food and wonderful wines with friends. The arrangements had already been decided upon; since we were going to a concert at the Suncoast, why not enjoy the steakhouse! The steakhouse at the Suncoast is named Primo’s and is only accessible via private elevator to the floor above the Casino.
We all arrived at the scheduled time and were led to our table which had a wonderful view that overlooked the stunning late afternoon Las Vegas scenery. Yes, I said “stunning.” Sometimes those of us who live in Las Vegas tend to be a little too blasé about all that’s here, and we forget to appreciate why we chose this as our home in the first place.
Sphere: Related ContentDon’t Call it RED Zinfandel
July 6, 2008 by vegasrenie · 1 Comment
It’s Zinfandel . Just Zinfandel. It is not “Red” Zinfandel.
Why does this bother me? Because I have a love/hate relationship with White Zinfandel , and the confusion that has arisen since its creation. Let me explain.
Zinfandel was on the ropes. In the 70s, winemakers were considering ripping out the unprofitable Zinfandel vines and replacing them with something that had a better monetary return. Like Cabernet, for instance. A winemaker’s attempt to make a Rosé resulted in a “stuck fermentation ,” a fermentation in which the yeast dies off earlier than it should. He tasted the wine two weeks after this problem occurred and decided that this pink sweet stuff should be sold.
It was an instant hit. The Great Unwashed loved it immediately (and yes, I was a card-carrying, chest-thumping member of the Great Unwashed at one time) and White Zinfandel became a household word as well as accounting for more sales of a single varietal than any other. The Great Unwashed has no taste.
So what does this have to do with anything?
Sphere: Related Content2005 Vines on the Marycrest - My Generation
June 25, 2008 by vegasrenie · Leave a Comment
Like the other reds in its portfolio, Vines on the Marycrest has named this, its flagship wine, after a song - in this case, My Generation by The Who.
Visitors had come by, and I wanted to share a bottle of a nice wine with them and spotted the My Generation in the wine fridge. I was in a celebratory frame of mind (almost the end of my “medical house arrest” woo hoo!) and wanted to open a bottle of something special.
Of course I’d only open this bottle with real “wine people,” and I’m almost glad that I did. I love sharing, but damn . This was so good that I wish that I’d been a little more selfish!
Sphere: Related ContentCruising the Wineries of Mexico - History and Schedule
June 17, 2008 by vegasrenie · Leave a Comment
The upcoming wine cruises in October and December are creating a lot of buzz among Wineauz in Vegas! Before we talk about the details, let me tell you a little about the history of the wineries in Mexico. There are many skeptics who are still stunned that such wineries exist. I had a great time doing the research, and found quite a bit of surprising information. What I’m relating here is just a microcosm of the information and history of these wineries and wine region.
Sphere: Related ContentThrowing Down the Gauntlet. Why Wine Will Always be Better than Beer!
June 6, 2008 by vegasrenie · Leave a Comment
I’ve noticed a trend during the past couple of years or so of people trying to convince the world that beer is “as good as” or “better than” wine in just about every category. Some pundits are going so far as to say that beer will one day completely replace wine in restaurants.
{{{see mocking sneer here}}}
While I certainly can understand why beer drinkers are so envious of their wine drinking friends, I have to tell you that their envy is not unfounded.
Sphere: Related ContentWine is, and always will be, better, classier, and healthier than beer. Beer drinkers will always have to fight the perception of beer as a lesser cousin of wine. And for good reason. Wine *is* better than beer. Period.
