DOCG - Las Vegas Edition

I was in Las Vegas for work last week and fortunately found some time to review another wine bar there. I visited DOCG in The Cosmopolitan hotel with some coworkers before we went out to dinner. (Thanks for tagging along on my review guys!)

I thought the name DOCG was very clever because it is the abbreviation that appears on bottles of Italian wines that meet the highest quality standards: Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita. Wines with this highest level of classification are actually tasted and approved by licensed government officials before being bottled. Needless to say, my expectations for the wines served at this bar were pretty high!

The Cosmopolitan hotel is incredibly beautiful and I would expect its wine bar to meet that standard, and it does. The interior of the bar was that of a trendy, rustic Italian café. The wood floors, brick walls, exposed beams on the ceiling, and the brick oven working hard in the back of the restaurant added to the Italian vibe as well. The glass walls of the entrance gave it a modern edge to remind you that you’re still in Vegas :) There were wooden plaques of red and white wine names hanging on the wall behind the bar, which I assumed was a list of the wines available. Having decided that I could go for a glass of Barbera, I searched the menu for it only to be disappointed. It wasn’t there. Major sad face. There were plenty of other wines to choose from, however and each of the wines available by the glass had tasting notes so that you would know what to expect. While I was expecting DOCG to serve only Italian wine, and there certainly is a fantastic selection of Italian wines, there is an expansive list of wines from around the world to choose from as well, including an entire page of the menu devoted to Chardonnay from the USA.

The wines at DOCG are expensive. Glasses start at $10 and the most expensive is $24. Bottles are priced between $45 and $14,000. No, I didn’t accidentally add an extra zero. A 1982 Chateau Lafite Rothschild from the Pauillac region of France takes the prize for the biggest price tag that I’ve seen at a wine bar so far. I decided on a glass of the 2009 Il Paggio Toscana Chianti. The pour was a little on the small side, although it was served in a mini carafe. If you’re a follower of my blog you know how much I love the little touches like this. The wine glasses were big with plenty of room for swirling. My glass of Chianti was wonderful and it smelled like cherry. The cherry appeared on the palate as well and was savory and smooth. It could definitely be enjoyed by itself as well as with a big plate of pasta. The wine had a long finish, which developed really nicely.

The service here was great. The staff at DOCG are very friendly and talkative and the bartenders chatted with our group for a while. They checked on us often and our drink orders were brought to us right away. With so many wines to choose from and such a comfortable atmosphere I felt like I could hang out here for the rest of the night!

While DOCG does actually seem to be more of a restaurant than a wine bar, I enjoyed the atmosphere, service, and of course the delicious vino. It is quite expensive though and I would have liked to see more value wines on the menu. If you’ve won big on the casino floor, definitely give this place a try. I give DOCG a rating of 3.8 out of 5 glasses.The entrance of DOCG in The Cosmopolitan Hotel

Plaque of Lies!

My yummy glass of Chianti

The Wine Cellar - Las Vegas Edition

I was in Las Vegas this week for work and it just so happens that there was a wine bar in my hotel! What luck. I thought that I should spice up my blog a bit and do a Las Vegas edition wine bar review. So, if you find yourself at the Rio Hotel, you’ll find this review very helpful. I also might add that the eye in the sky was probably watching me type my notes. So, I’d like to give a shout out to the Rio Hotel security, if you’re reading this. *waves*

First of all, compared to any of the New York wine bars I’ve been to, this place is HUGE and it feels like you’re underground in a tasting room of a Napa Valley winery. The whole place is designed to look like a wine cellar, go figure. It’s one level below the casino, the ceilings are curved and there are huge dome lights lighting your way through the bar, and there are stone corridors lined with racks that are full of wines that are apparently for sale, although there were no salespeople to help you if you wanted to purchase a bottle.

There is a lot to take in here. The bar itself is super long and separated into sections by stone pillars and there are table areas with oversized leather chairs and couches surrounding coffee tables. Soft jazz is mingled with the sound of the casino upstairs, although it is pretty quiet for Vegas, which I wasn’t expecting. I’m not sure if it’s normally this quiet – perhaps I missed the pre-dinner rush.

The wine list is organized by 21 flights of wine, which are 3 glasses of wines (2 oz each) and cleverly titled. However, this style of organization made the list a little confusing if you’re searching for a wine by region. Prices for these flights range from $14 to $75 and a flight of cognac is $125. You can also order a glass of one of the wines featured in any flight, which are priced between $10 and $85. I’m not in New York anymore. There is a separate bottle list that apparently has over 1,100 wines to choose from, but you have to ask for it.

The wines are from California, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, Spain, Argentina, and Portugal. Interestingly enough, there were no French wines which are usually a staple of wine bar menus. There are also some mystery wines titled “red wine of the day #1”. I would be a little apprehensive ordering one of these because I really don’t like surprises when I’m ordering wine, especially considering that they weren’t inexpensive with the most being $24.

I decided to go budget since the roulette tables hadn’t been too kind to me as of yet, so I went with the $10 glass of the 2007 St Gabriel Auslese Riesling. The menu said that it was 2007, but when the bartender poured my glass I saw that it was actually a 2010. Might want to update that menu, Wine Cellar. The pour was extremely generous. When I thought the bartender was done pouring my glass, he had really just emptied the bottle and turned to the fridge behind him to get a fresh one to top off my glass with. Vegas style, I like it. This Riesling smelled a little bit like mango and tasted like tropical fruits with a touch of honey. It wasn’t too sweet and had a crisp acidity. It had a minerally finish with a lingering flavor of honey. I had actually spotted this wine in the retail area of the bar and got kind of excited and hoped that it was available by the glass at the bar. I like sweet Rieslings and this wine is actually classified into different styles of body and sweetness, with Auslese being the most full bodied styles that can either be sweet or dry. It’s from the Mosel region of Germany, which is famous for its Riesling. Overall this wine was good, but I think it was more of an entry level Riesling, if you will. It would be a good value if you find it in a retail store.

I did have some sticker shock as I was reviewing the menu, but judging by the size of the pour it’s worth it as long as you stay under $20. The pour is probably near 2 glasses worth. The service was a little spotty as I rarely saw the bartender, but he was very friendly when he did come around. The atmosphere is quiet and very wine-focused and a nice little escape from the loudness of Vegas (in every sense of the word). I give The Wine Cellar a rating of 3.6 out of 5 glasses.

The entrance to The Wine Cellar, one level below the casino

The cavernous interior of the bar

My well-filled glass of Riesling

The decorations that are on each section of the bar