Las Vegas Rolls Out Luxury Gourmet Events For Wine Lovers And Foodies

Las Vegas has one of the best fine dining scenes of any city on earth, awash in top tier celebrity chefs, Forbes 4 and 5-Star eateries, and Michelin stars. Many of these fancy restaurants have deep wine lists, and while that is the case all over the world, many visitors do not realize what goes on with wines and spirits behind the scenes in Sin City.

In many cases Las Vegas casinos and entire casino groups use their massive buying power to acquire libraries of wines that go beyond what even the most venerable individual restaurants are capable of, along with custom single barrel whiskies and other private label sprits. These can be distributed across bars and restaurants throughout the hotel or multiple hotels. In addition, many Las Vegas casino companies have off-site dedicated warehouses with perfect storage conditions, and this makes it even easier for them to buy and store vast quantities of coveted and collectible wines. In addition, the immense buying power makes them VIP customers of top wineries, distilleries and distributors, which can mean access to allocated wines that other places can never buy at retail, as well as the participation of winemakers and master blenders in special “only in Las Vegas” culinary events. These special events and dinners for wine lovers are a trend that has picked up steam in recent years.

Just before the pandemic, because of my extensive coverage of Japanese beef in books and articles, I co-hosted (unpaid) a special Wagyu beef and wine dinner at the Wynn Resort with prestigious Daou Family Estates, with vineyards in California and Italy. It was a ton of fun, with great food and great wine and I enjoyed meeting the passionate participants, a mix of frequent casino guests and food and wine lovers.

Wynn has been at the forefront of this trend, and usually does at least one over-the-top winery event annually. As we emerge from pandemic travel lockdowns, they are back again next month, in a big way, with a special Opus One Wine Weekend. After the famous Judgment of Paris in 1976 (recounted in the movie Bottle Shock) put Napa Valley wines in the world spotlight of quality for the first time, California wine pioneer Robert Mondavi and famed French Bordeaux maker Baron Philippe de Rothschild partnered to launch a new winery devoted to crafting a high-end classic Bordeaux-style blend in California, and the Opus One Winery was born, its first vintage released in 1985. Ever since it has been one of the most consistently recognizable luxury wines in the world, and arguably the most collectible U.S. label.

The three-day gala runs April 28-20 and includes eight different events featuring the winery, from nightly dinners to Master Classes to pairings. The complete schedule is available online, but some highlights include a 5-course beef-centric “Nose-To-Tail” dinner Friday night with cuts paired with four rare vintages of Opus One, all served from large format Double Magnum bottles (3 liters). The menu was created by Wynn’s vice president of Culinary Operations, James Beard Award winning chef Christopher Lee. Mizumi, the high-end Japanese eatery in Wynn, is one of the best sushi restaurants I have had the pleasure of eating at outside of Japan, and one unusual event is the “Improbable Pairings,” where three Opus One vintages will be paired with Mizumi Chef Min Kim’s signature Japanese dishes. Opus One winemaker Michael Silacci will lead guests who attend the Saturday Master Class through a guided tasting of four specially chosen vintages accompanied by dishes from Wynn’s seafood specialty eatery Lakeside.

Tickets just went on sale a few days ago and begin at $500 for single events. There is also an all-inclusive Collector’s Experience package that has all eight events plus a 2-night stay at the Forbes 5-Star Wynn Tower Suites, airport transportation and more, at $15,000 for one or $25,000 per couple.

Not to be outdone, rival casino resort Bellagio is offering a Chateau Margaux wine dinner with legendary gourmet chefs Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Michael Mina, along with David Chang of Momofuku fame. One of the world’s most famous wines, Margaux is a Left Bank Bordeaux from Medoc, and one of just five wines to be classified as Premier Cru, or First Growth, in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855. These five represent the crème de la crème of collectible reds.

While this is just a single night, it is very extensive – and includes a special unique bonus that goes on long after the party is over. The festivities begin with a Welcome Reception featuring 2002 Louis Roederer Cristal, a prestige cuvee champagne, and small bites by Chang. This is followed by a dinner in Bellagio’s Le Cirque (a spinoff of the New York original that has been here ever since the casino resort opened, which I have dined at and is excellent), with four courses by the famous chefs, each paired with two wines form Margaux, then a fifth sweet course with dessert wine.

That’s a lot of adult beverages, but there’s more to come, because another partner in the event is Kentucky’s Buffalo Trace Distillery, one of the top bourbon producers in the country. After dessert, Buffalo Trace Master Blender Drew Mayville will guide guests through a high-end rare bourbon whiskey tasting, which includes four coveted Old Fashioned Copper (O.F.C) vintages from 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996. In addition, two other rare and collectible whiskies will be presented.

The big night is coming up fast, on March 18, but tickets are still available as of this writing, at $5,000 per person. One of the most interesting features to this evening that I have never seen at another wine event is that each attendee also reeves a standing future invite for an in-depth visit to and tour of the Margaux estate in Bordeaux, including both the historic parts and the new cellar and wine library, designed by legendary architect Lord Norman Foster. The private tour will include a tasting of vintages from Château Margaux’s private collection, for a sort of two-in-one wine lovers’ event.

These kind of very high-end wine dinners are rolled out semi-regularly throughout Las Vegas, but one much more affordable option is the Las Vegas Food & Wine Festival, held this fall mainly at the Palms Casino Resort, along with some addition locations (October 4-8). While details are still scant, there will be multiple Celebrity Chef wine pairing diners and other cocktail and wine tastings. More information will come in the next few months, but highlights include Daou Vineyards and a lineup of chefs that includes Todd English, Francois Payard and many others. It is one of the most accessible wine events with dinners starting at just $250 and general admission grand tastings from $100.

I recently wrote up the grand reopening of the Palms after a top-to-bottom $600 million reimagining here at Forbes. Highlights include the craziest signature suites in the city and an exceptional array of restaurants that run the gamut from world class dim sum to one of Vegas’ best steakhouses to what is easily the best barbecue in the city. Read more here.

Cheers!