Part Vegas re-cap, Part restaurant review, Part Wine review

Cuz that's how we roll...

We spent a week in Las Vegas earlier this month. Hubs had a conference to attend, so I tagged along, did a bit of antiquing, lots of walking, and we played tourist in the evenings. We ate out a lot, which has gotten very expensive in Vegas. Most restaurants were not worth it, but Circo (in the Bellagio) definitely was. We sort-of ended up there by default, having opted for the dinner-and-show combination to see Cirque du Soleil's "O". (We reviewed "O", "Phantom", and all our restaurants on TripAdvisor if you're planning a Vegas visit).

So, about Circo... We got there early, so had a drink in the bar before our reservation. The bartender was very friendly, and he suggested the espresso martini. It was excellent.

The recipe:
equal parts espresso,
Stoli vanilla, and
Kahlua. YUM!

For dinner, we got a table by the windows, so had a stunning view of the Bellagio fountains. Having signed up for the pre-show dinner, we had limited menu options. After deciding what we were going to order, we checked out the wine list. Yikes! To say it was extensive would be an understatement. And to top it off, some bottles were 5 figures. That's right, over $10,000 a bottle!

We picked a very modest bottle: a 2007 St. Francis Old Vine Zinfandel.

The wine had a nice plum color. The aroma reminded me of a shady oak grove on a hot summer day...berries, light oak, and it smelled of cherry with a hint of green grass. The flavor was fruit-forward (black cherry) with a slow building of pepper.

For dinner, Hubs got the salad, which was fresh and light. I got calamari with tomato sauce, which was good. The sauce brought out the sharper tannins and pepper in the wine. We both got the ravioli, which was super tasty. The wine really brought out the sweet butter of the ravioli dish.

Our desserts were tasty and a feast for the eyes. Circo's service was attentive throughout, always keeping the wine glasses full. The fountains were lovely, and it was a great start to our evening.

Just goes to show that you needn't buy a pricey bottle to enhance a fine meal!

New Year's Eve Eve Winery Tour

Happy 2012! On the eve of New Year's Eve, we decided a winery tour along Highway 47 sounded like fun. We packed up my mom and some cheeses, and headed out early. After all, it was 5 o'clock somewhere.

Our first stop was Montinore Estate on Dilley Road. The house up the hill was a stunner. I thought we might be in for a pretentious sip, but we were in for a fine start to our tour. You can either choose your own tasting of five wines or take their pre-selected flight of six. I chose the latter. Mom picked her own. Our designated driver (the hubs) was offered anything from the soda & water fridge for free.

The 2009 Pinot Gris was aromatic and crisp. The 2009 Estate Reserve Pinot Noir was bright and fruity.
The 2008 Parson's Ridge Pinot Noir was more full bodied, with berry and cedar notes.

Not part of my flight (but sampled thanks to Mom sharing), the 2008 Graham's Block 7 Pinot Noir had a cherry scent, with bolder flavor (blackberry, nuts, woodsy) than the Estate Reserve. We ordered 2 bottles.

On the sweeter side, the 2010 Borealis (a white blend) was fruity and sweet, but still bright. The 2010 Riesling Sweet Reserve had honey and citrus notes. A very sweet one. Finally, there was a port-style wine: the 2005 Ruby made from their estate Pinot Noir. Super tasty with hints of fig. We ordered one bottle of this lovely port.

Our next stop was the very unpretentious new winery called Plum Hill. We knew they were good people when we saw the doggy play area and whimsical fountain. Inside, we were greeted by a friendly yellow lab and warm, low-key service. They also had a nice gift shop with a variety of items, including the wafers and chocolates that were sampled during the tasting. I didn't keep notes for this tasting, but we did get several bottles here, too, including:
2009 Pinot Noir
2010 Riesling
2010 Pinot Gris

Next stop: Kramer Vineyards. They had an intimate tasting room, and were clearly a popular stop. This was the only tasting room where we didn't have it to ourselves. The hubs wanted to stop here on the hopes of finding a local source for sparkling wines. This was our most extensive tasting, and one I'd recommend if you like whites.
The 2009 Brut was nice and dry with a hint of lemon. Very crisp. We bought 2 bottles. The Celebrate Muller-Thurgau was ok, but the non-sparkling version was better in my opinion, and at only $10 a bottle, hard to beat. The 2009 Pinot Gris was ok, not very complex, but drinkable. The 2007 Chard Barrel Select was good for a chardonnay (I'm not normally a fan). The 2007 Estate Pinot Noir was very light, drinkable, not at all complex. We like ours to have more body. The 2007 Cardiac Hill Pinot Noir was a bit of a disappointment after learning about how and where it's planted (the steepest block in the vineyard). Perhaps with a few more years of vine development, this one will show better. The 2009 Barberra Walla Walla (locally produced in an Italian style with grapes from central Washington) was very nice, with hints of smoke. We bought a bottle of this. The 2008 Pinot Noir Port was very good, and would really highlight a rich, chocolate dessert. We bought a bottle of this. At $12/bottle, I also had to inquire about the Quad Rose. As a good brunch wine offering, we bought one bottle.

Our final stop of the day was Patton Valley Vineyard. We had been here before ~ in 2009. One new feature to the tasting room since then, and much appreciated, was the barrel at the back covered in wine glasses with sealed scents for the sniffing and/or guessing. We were the only ones there, so it was great fun to scoot back and forth between each tasting and the scents it supposedly contained. Our server (Danielle, I think) was super-nice and engaging. The real standout in the tasting was the 2009 Red Mountain Syrah. (The pinots were a bit light for us). The syrah was rich, had beautiful inky color, a nice jammy flavor and full mouth feel. Yum. We bought several bottles.

All in all, a great day. No rain, no crowds, great wines. Each stop was worthwhile!