Swirl it, spot it, smell it and then taste it. When a glass tells you a story of vines and hand picked memories you know you have a good bottle of wine. Las Vegas has plenty of options when it comes to good wine and you could spend months trying them all. This is a list of some of the better ones. Wine Spectator magazine has a great list of award winners and here is a few of them.
1. Aureole at Mandalay Bay
Photograph © 2007 Zeke Quezada, licensed to About.com, Inc
A Grand Award winner again and they are very deserving. A tower of wine compliments a fabulous menu that includes entrees that will have you longing to make your way back. Charlie Palmer entices you with high quality cuisine.
2. Delmonico at the Venetian Hotel
Photograph © 2007 Zeke Quezada, licensed to About.com, Inc
One of four restaurants in Las Vegas with the highest of standards according to Wine Spectator. Emeril Legasse can deliver a life changing steak and I can easily ponder the process by which the glass of Barolo on my table has undergone change in the comfortable dining room at Delmonico.
3. Picasso at Bellagio Las Vegas
Courtesy of MGM Mirage
Wine Spectator Grand Award winner Picasso offers amazing food but the highlight for me is the Spanish wines. I fall in love with the chemistry of the Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes on a regular basis. A proper Rioja can get me to do almost anything and my wife is clearly aware of that. It is not uncommon for her to put me into a Spanish wine coma and then show up with three new pairs of shoes. Surround yourself with great art and delight yourself with a fabulous menu at Picasso.
4. Bradley Ogden at Caesars Palace
Photograph © 2007 Zeke Quezada, licensed to About.com, Inc
A Best of Award of excellence winner Bradley Ogden entices you with good, fresh food that goes well with the California wines they pour. What impresses me about Bradley Ogden is that when I leave the restaurant I feel like I have not blown my diet. Sure, I probably have had as much as I can eat and a few bottle have been opened but I always feel great. Go figure.
5. Fix at Bellagio Hotel
Photograph © 2007 Zeke Quezada, licensed to About.com, Inc
Fix is hip and a bit trendy and it is exactly what you usually do not find in a place that has a great list from which to select your wine. However, they do a great job with just under 300 choices in a cellar of both old and new world selections. I'll admit, I enjoy meals at the bar while sampling from a few bottles but the dining room is open and has a comfortable atmosphere.
