Viva Las Vegas and the Best Hospitality in the USA

Cathy

My cell phone, my children, and my career in wine were all born in Las Vegas.

Vegas has, it will always have, a very special and fond place in my personal and professional histories. So when Matthew suggested we write about it for this week’s Liquid Love Letter, I went all in.

Several years ago, when the opportunity arose to move with my family to Las Vegas, I had just returned from cooking school in France and rumor had it that there were more Master Sommeliers working in Vegas than anywhere else in the world. If someone hit it big in the casinos, the thinking went, then the casinos wanted to be ready for them to spend it big too. Big wines, even unicorn wines, were at hand for that once-in-a-lifetime “win.” Big wines, big sales. On the regular.

Vegas was then and, as Matthew will tell you still is, a heck of a city for wine. Wonderful wines are “in market” and on the shelves, ready to be opened and shared and learned about.

The availability of great bottles and their accessibility is a major advantage of the wine scene in Las Vegas. That, for me, is one thing to know about remember if you are planning a visit. If there’s an elusive wine on your radar, one you’ve heard about but could never quite put your hands on, the odds are in your favor that you’ll find it in Vegas.

The second major advantage of Vegas is that hospitality people are everywhere. Literally. The city runs on them. Sure, some are in it for the cash; you’ve no doubt heard the urban legends about the groups of college grads who bet each other who will reach their first million fastest by hustling card tables and the like. It makes sense to stay aware. But the large majority of hospitality people are *hospitable.* They are welcoming. They share. They’ll point you in the right direction.

Especially when the right direction is toward the most memorable bottle of wine you’ll ever have.

Matthew

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

I used to have a very different opinion of Sin City. After years of going there on family vacations, I went for my 21st birthday and ended up bringing some nice casino winnings home. The next phase of my relationship with Vegas was a long dry spell, before seeing it for the entertainment capital that is has become.

Now in my current era of wine writing, I've been to Vegas twice in the last 9 months and am gearing up to go back this weekend. My opinions have changed drastically, I can see it for what it aims to be: a place where the answer is YES.

Hospitality is slowly dying out in cities across the world, but in Las Vegas it has never been stronger.

Hotels and large restaurant groups have been pushing the boundaries in the Vegas culinary scene for years, aiming to provide top experiences for world travelers, connoisseurs, and people winning in the casino alike. I will go as far as to say, the best service and hospitality I've experienced in the post covid world has been in Las Vegas.

So how does that translate to wine?

You can get any wine, anytime, 24 hours a day. Top restaurants are there to cater to beginners, as well as collectors and wealthy patrons. You'll find amazing $75 bottles, and you'll also see $50,000-$100,000 bottles available. The level of service and overall knowledge base is truly unparalleled from what I've seen in recent visits.

Been searching for a specific first growth? Love DRC and not sure where to find it? Champagne lover and drank through your allocation of 2007 Salon? You know where to go. The top restaurants on the strip have you covered.

Want to learn about the coolest new wines? The arts district has a bunch of rad wine bars that'll pour you the hippest juice around. Off-strip joints are ready to show you something unique.

Clear your mind and allow Vegas to show you what it is, not what you think it is.