It’s almost too easy to go out for great wine in Las Vegas. Pop a bottle and the cork is likely to hit a world-class sommelier. But what if you want the restaurant experience chez toi? Fortunately, it’s also easier than you think to build a great wine collection in the comfort of your home—no designated drivers needed.
Cater to yourself.
Release any stereotypes about what a wine collection should entail. “The most important thing with wine, like art, is finding what you like,” says Partage restaurant owner and wine director Nicolas Kalpokdjian. “It starts by being curious, being adventurous, and being open to discovering different regions, different grapes,” Kalpokdjian says. He advises choosing a few basic flavor profiles, then exploring some wineries, working from entry-level price points to special labels as you learn your preferences.
Work with your budget.
You don’t have to be rich to collect wine. Eric Prato, owner of Garagiste Wine Room & Merchant, enjoys offering cool and interesting bottles at the $20-$25 price point. “It’s not a crazy investment, and you may really get turned on and want to keep going down this wine rabbit hole with us,” Prato says. For fabulously affordable wines, he recommends eschewing famous regions such as Napa in favor of hidden gems from Portugal, South Africa and New Zealand.
Be a Joiner.
One of the most fun (and cost effective) ways to expand your palate is to attend local wine tastings. For example, Vegas Valley Winery and Pine Hollow Winery both offer curated flights of six or more wines for about the price of a single cocktail. Take tastings to the next level by joining a local wine club. Partage, Garagiste and Vegas Valley Winery all offer clubs or memberships, which include special events, tastings, education and more. “If you’re part of a wine club, you can be exposed to a lot of wines that you might not pick on your own,” Kalpokdjian says. His French wine club even hosts an annual trip to France.
Make shopping a destination.
Local institution Khoury’s Fine Wine & Spirits is mainly a retail store, but they have a bar area that hosts occasional wine events and sells wine by the glass. For a $5 corkage fee, you can even drink any purchased bottle on premises. Inversely, both Partage and Garagiste have retail that accompanies their bar and dining areas. Either way, the social aspect enriches the wine experience. Be sure to make use of the experts on hand by asking for their recommendations.
Protect your investment.
Unless you crank up your AC, the Vegas heat “kills wine extremely quickly,” Prato says. Whether using a wine fridge, your actual fridge or an elaborate climate-controlled cellar, keep it cool. The ideal temperature window for wine is 45 to 62 degrees Fahrenheit, with 65 being the hottest.
Wine that isn’t going to be consumed quickly (in the next couple months) should be stored laying down so that the wine keeps the cork moist, preserving the seal, Prato advises.
If your collection outgrows your wine cooler, Kalpokdjian recommends renting a wine locker at Nevada Wine Storage (nevadawinestorage.com), a climate-controlled self-storage facility.
Leave it to the experts.
If the prospect of building your own collection still sounds too daunting, you can always pay somebody else to do it. Garagiste’s custom cellar curation service involves a private tasting to learn the client’s preferences, goals and budget. “It doesn’t have to be anything grandiose,” Prato says. “It can be a 12-bottle wine refrigerator that they want to have refilled every quarter.”
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