If you are a member of a wine club – as in receiving shipments from a winery – you know that this is “allocation season,” and your CCs (credit cards) are probably weeping. That’s certainly the case with me. But does that stop me from buying wines anyway? Of course not!
Not only is it allocation season, but it’s Spring, and with Spring comes all kinds of good-weather activities.
One of my favorite places to go for wines is Khoury’s. They now have two locations – the original store at 9915 S. Eastern Ave., at Jeffreys just north of St. Rose Pkwy in Henderson, and the new location at 7150 S. Durango Dr, in Vegas near the 215. The Durango location has wine tastings on Wednesday nights, and the Eastern store has tastings on Thursday nights. The proprietors, Issa and Nura Khoury are the best! And they are directly responsible for my lack of control over my budget because they offer wonderful wines at great prices, making purchases nearly irresistible! Last September they hosted the HenderZIN in the Eastern Ave. store parking lot, with about 20 wineries, barbeque, raffle drawings, music, and slammin’ deals on cases of wines. I lost my mind and my budget. And it was worth it!! Of course, winning a numbered 1.5 bottle of 2003 Tobin James Dusi Vineyard Zin was the crowning touch on a great day!
Issa and Nura provide the opportunities for boutique wineries to offer the public a chance to taste their wines. I have many bottles of wine that I haven’t seen elsewhere or may not have purchased without having tasted them in advance. Their website is http://khourysfinewine.com/ along with a very nice article from Dining Today in the Review Journal http://viewnews.com/2006/VIEW-Apr-04-Tue-2006/Prime/6595333%20.html.
Another place I love to go is Marche Bacchus, located at 2620 Regatta Drive in the Desert Shores area of Vegas. Now, I don’t know if Agathe and Greg are the owners, but they should be. They know everything about wines, and have the largest selection of high-end French wines around. Like Khoury’s , their prices are incredible. What makes Marche really unique is that they have this wonderful retail area of great wines AND a restaurant to go along with it. What’s great about Marche is that the restaurant is loaded with atmosphere … they are right on the lake of Desert Shores, which at this time of year means gorgeous weather, beautiful views of the lake and the ohmygod houses on the shore. If you choose to dine outdoors (and why *wouldn’t* you this time of year?!?), the occasional duck or goose will paddle by looking for handouts.
Marche charges a $10.00 corkage fee for wines purchased in the store for dinner. What makes this especially spectacular is that their prices are already low, and the $10.00 fee is nothing compared to other restaurants. You not only have a “wine list” you can check out in person, but you have the expertise of the staff to help you decide the best choice with your meal, and at a price that is half or more compared to prices of wines in restaurants in general. By the way, Marche Bacchus garnered second place finishes in the Best French Restaurant and Wine Selection categories of the Best of Las Vegas poll done every year by the Review Journal. They won the Best Outdoor Dining category. Go and you’ll see why. Their website is http://www.marchebacchus.com.
My newest discovery (thanks, Linda!) is Jimmy’s Café at 8427 W. Lake Mead, just east of Rampart in Vegas. Linda mentioned in passing that she had lunch there a few times and said that they had a great wine list. She and I went there after my haircut and discovered a gem. I immediately ordered the salad that Linda had recommended, The Crossings Steak Salad, which has paper-thin slices of rare Tri-Tip on salad greens with Kalamata olives, caramelized Vidalia onions, tomatoes, crumbled goat cheese, and drizzled with shallot-soy vinaigrette. YUMMY!!! And what a perfect match with Pinot!
I joined the wine club ($49.00), which gives me first notice of special wine dinners and events, as well as free corkage on Wednesday nights. Considering the price of corkage in most restaurants, the membership will be paid for in two visits!
I got to meet the owner, Jimmy Stanfill, who has a cherubic face and great blue eyes. He’s been open a few months and is doing well. He loves the idea of the wine retail/restaurant combination a la Marche Bacchus and Bleu Gourmet, but he’s in Summerlin which won’t allow it. Why? Who knows. It’s a very upscale idea and Jimmy’s is a great little restaurant and he’s working hard to get the powers in Summerlin to relent. Stay tuned! His website is http://www.jimmyscafelv.com.
If you haven’t been to one yet, you have to scrape the dollars together for a good cause and go the Wine Walk held throughout the Spring, Summer, and early Fall months at Lake Las Vegas. For about $50 a couple ($30 per individual), you walk through Montelago Village sampling wine from about 15+ wineries. The proceeds go directly to assist adults with disabilities, so it’s a wonderful cause. The first Wine Walk is Saturday evening, April 14. Their website is http://newvistacommunity.org. Click on the “Events” button to scroll through the calendar for exact dates of the Wine Walks, which are either the second or third Saturdays of each month.
By the way, walking through Montelago Village offers wonderful retail therapy opportunities as well.
Well, this is a good start. There are many other places to go, things to do, people to see in the wine community of Las Vegas. Stay tuned for more!
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