UNLVino matures over years

Bubble-Licious to raise glass to founding dean

Advertisement

This year, UNLVino is giving a nod to its past while working to ensure a future for UNLV students.

Organizers of the 32-year-old fundraiser are expecting larger crowds than ever for the series of wine tasting events, scheduled for Thursday through Saturday at several venues. They've dedicated one event to a UNLVino pioneer -- Jerry Vallen.

Bubble-Licious, a tasting event for champagne and sparkling wines, will be in honor of Vallen, the founding dean of the UNLV College of Hotel Administration. He created UNLVino with Larry Ruvo, senior managing director of Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada.

Money raised through Bubble-Licious will be collected to build a professorship named after Vallen.

Andy Feinstein, UNLV's chairman of the food and beverage department, said the goal is to raise $250,000 initially.

The interest from that will cover travel expenses for professionals in the field of hotel management to come to UNLV and spend time with students, who will thereby get to hear from people working in the field before entering it themselves.

"It provides an added level of expertise," Feinstein said.

Vallen said he was delighted when he learned about the professorship. He's watched the UNLVino event evolve from the early days when it consisted of a small group.

"We had so few people attend, we met in the warehouses of Southern Wine and Spirits," Vallen said.

UNLVino has grown exponentially, but Vallen said the goal has remained the same -- to help students.

Money raised at other UNLVino events will go toward scholarships and various improvements to the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration.

In addition to fundraising, UNLVino gives students the opportunity to help coordinate a large event.

About 8,000 people attended the Grand Tasting last year. Planners expect at least that many participants this year. UNLVino is the final project for a specific class for upper-level students each year.

Chrissy Costanza, a senior in hotel administration, said she would like to go into events planning professionally when she graduates.

Helping to get UNLVino organized has been great experience, she said. She has been working to coordinate 400 volunteers and make sure the 850 wines to be used at the tasting events will be in the right place at the right time.

Costanza said she's been a patron of UNLVino for a few years and getting behind the scenes was eye-opening.

"You really don't realize all the work that goes into it," Costanza said.

Two relatively new events have really done well in the last few years.

Both Bubble-Licious and Auss-Some and Then Some, a tasting of wines from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, were created in 2003 and have now become part of the permanent line-up.

Last year, Auss-Some and Then Some was so popular that planners decided to limit attendance this year to 400 people.

The goal is to make the event more intimate, Feinstein said. Last year, volunteers were overwhelmed by people.

Although retired, Vallen said he always attends UNLVino and has a wonderful time.

"It's both an educational event and a big social event," Vallen said.

It all starts with Bubble-Licious, to be presented from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday poolside at the Hard Rock, 4455 Paradise Road.

Tickets cost $75. Auss-Some and Then Some will be from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday at the Cili Restaurant at Bali Hai Golf Course, 5160 Las Vegas Boulevard South. Tickets cost $50.

The Grand Tasting, featuring a variety of wines from around the world, will be from 3 to 7 p.m. on Saturday at Paris Las Vegas, 3655 Las Vegas Boulevard South. Tickets cost $50 in advance and $75 at the door.

The Wine and Art Auction will be from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Paris Las Vegas, with registration from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, call 895-1330 or log on to www.unlvino.com.