Get schooled in wine at UNLVino and related tasting events
By AMANDA LLEWELLYN
VIEW STAFF WRITER
View File photoJamie Palazzolo, left, pours a glass of wine from the Martin & Weyrich Winery for Oksana Nuttbrock during a previous year?s UNLVino wine tasting at the Paris Las Vegas. UNLVino returns this week with a variety of wine-tasting events.
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Like a fine wine, some affairs only get better with age.
The 34th annual UNLVino Wine Tasting benefit will return to Sin City this weekend, reminding wine enthusiasts that the oldest cellar in town still is the best.
The event, which benefits the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration Department of Food and Beverage Management at UNLV, offers patrons a unique opportunity to sample and savor the finest wines from around the globe.
"We will have more than 130 wine companies present at the Grand Tasting," UNLV professor Mohsan Azizsoltani said. "People have this opportunity to enjoy their favorite varietals, and those who are new to wine can ask questions."
UNLVino has become so popular that organizers have extended it into a three-day gala with varying themes and settings.
BUBBLE-LICIOUS!
Patrons can sample sparkling wines and champagne with this inaugural event at 7 p.m. Thursday at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road.
The evening will feature more than 60 wines from around the country and a rare champagne tasting.
"Champagne, fine champagne, is very expensive, and that's why such tastings are so rare," Azizsoltani said. "This is a great opportunity for enthusiasts to indulge."
AUSS-SOME AND THEN SOME
This homage to the wines of the southern hemisphere will be hosted at 7 p.m. Friday at The District at Green Valley Ranch, 2240 Village Walk Drive.
The event will feature wines from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
"This is for that adventurous soul who loves to explore and experience new things," Azizsoltani said. "We're very excited to bring this addition to the event."
UNLVINO GRAND TASTING
This premiere event, which features the newest and vintage wines from around the world, raised more than $30,000 in 2007, and organizers hope to see that number significantly increase this year.
"All of the proceeds generated by all three events will benefit students that go to the college of hotel administration, and scholarships," Azizsoltani said. "This is a great program for a number of reasons, but that is the first."
The Grand Tasting will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday inside the Paris Las Vegas. The event also will feature a wine and art auction at 3 p.m., where bidders can compete for the finest rare wines, fine art and wine country vacations.
According to Azizsoltani, UNLVino is one of the largest single-day wine tasting events in the world, with more than 7,000 people attending in 2007.
The event, presented in conjunction with Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada, has become a Las Vegas tradition, stemming back to the mid-1970s when a few friends gathered in a downtown warehouse to discuss a common passion.
"That was in 1974," Azizsoltani said. "Since then, we've grown so big that we're now hosting three events, each unique in its own way, to continue to stir interest and present an experience that people will remember from year to year."
Azizsoltani said that because students play a major role in the planning and execution of UNLVino, the overall experience allows them to maintain a firm grasp on the intricacies of running such large-scale events.
For more information, visit www.unlvino.com or call 895-1330.
WHAT'S GOING ON
UNLVino tickets cost $75 to $100 per event and can be purchased at www.unlvtickets.com. For information, call 895-1330 or visit www.unlvino.com.
BUBBLE-LICIOUS
* What: Champagne tasting
* When: 7 p.m. Thursday
* Where: The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road
AUSS-SOME AND THEN SOME
* What: Wine tasting featuring wines from the southern hemisphere
* When: 7 p.m. Friday
* Where: The District at Green Valley Ranch, 2240 Village Walk Drive, Henderson
GRAND TASTING
* What: Wine tasting featuring hundreds of wines from around the world
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