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

Uncorked

I went to Uncorked, which is in Midtown East at 322 E 59^th St. The bar is a little difficult to find being amidst some current construction and it’s also right by the Queensboro Bridge. It’s in an unlikely location, but it’s a nice little wine bar!

Being a little outside of the craziness of Midtown, Uncorked is quiet, cute, and filled with friendly locals. Yes, believe it or not we New Yorkers can be friendly! My friend and I actually had conversations with the other customers seated around the bar and with the bartender. We talked about wine, living in various neighborhoods of New York, and one of the customers was even showing videos of his grandkids. It really felt more like I was at someone’s dinner party than a wine bar. Uncorked is probably the most social wine bar I’ve been to. If you’re in the mood for wine and conversation, you should definitely come here.

Not only do the staff and other customers make you feel like you’re in someone’s home, but the place is also decorated very home-like. The window seat in the front of the bar is piled high with throw pillows, there are a bunch of wall mounted tealight candleholders, and also a huge vase full of corks, which also makes a similar appearance in my own living room.

The wine list is actually pretty large, with a good selection of wines from France, Italy, Germany, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, and California. Glasses were priced between $9 and $15 and bottles of these same wines were no more than $58. There was a separate bottle list with a wines that were much older and more expensive - around $200.

First of all, the wines are served in a mini carafe and poured into giant wine glasses. Plenty of room for swirling in these glasses! I ordered the 2009 Macon-Villages White Burgundy from France. I really love white wines from Burgundy because they’re very unique compared to most other whites - they’re not as sweet or high in acidity and also feel a little more medium bodied. This one was very good. It smelled like peach and maybe a little pear as well. It was a little tart and tasted like peach and apricot. It was complex and delicious with a nice long finish.

I really liked Uncorked and will come here again when I’m in the area. I hope the friendly experience I had is typical of this wine bar because it really made it very comfortable and welcoming. I give Uncorked a rating of 4 out of 5 glasses.

Entrance to Uncorked

The homey interior of Uncorked

Oversized wine glasses FTW

I don't know what Wine & Wit Night is, but it sounds fun!