Friday, Oct. 25, 2002 | 9:24 a.m.
Muriel Stevens' dining column appears Fridays. Her shopping and travel columns appear Wednesday. Reach her at (702) 259-4080 or [email protected].
Bon vivant and entrepreneur Marvin Shanken has managed to combine his lust for the good life with a successful business devoted to some of his favorite things.
Shanken is the chairman of M. Shanken Communications, Inc., which includes magazines -- Wine Spectator, Cigar Aficionado, Food Arts and Market Watch (for the trade) -- and a host of websites and newsletters.
He is also the creator of the New York Wine Experience and the California Wine Experience, absolute musts for wine and food groupies. Limited to 1,200 wine and food enthusiasts, these events sell out shortly after being advertised. A limited number of tickets can be purchased separately for The Grand Tasting, the opening night event, and the Grand Award banquet.
A portion of the proceeds benefits the Wine Spectator Scholarship Fund.
The first Las Vegas California Wine Experience at The Venetian on Oct. 17 to Oct. 19 was one of the most brilliant events of its kind that I've attended, and yet it was the largest. I'm not much for crowds, but the spirit and camaraderie generated by the Wine Experience was captivating. I didn't even mind the brief waits in line for the various events.
The Wine Experience staff, guided by Niki Singer, and the catering and banquet staff at The Venetian, headed by Director of Catering and Conference Services Pete Boyd, worked together seamlessly to provide attendees with a memorable occasion. And memorable it was.
There were two nights of grand tasting, with more than 200 California wines offered. Standing by to answer questions were representatives of the various wineries.
The wines available for tasting ranged in price from $25 to $175; splendid wines, interesting price range. Each guest had received a wine diary that included a synopsis of each winery. I watched as the people around me sipped and made notes then went on to the next wine(s).
Adjacent to the tasting area was a lavish display of food, cheese, pates and terrines, earthy hearth-baked breads, roasted tenderloin, dried and fresh fruits and assorted sweets and desserts. Dubbed "An Autumnal Sojourn in Napa Valley," the displays were enriched with flowers and foliage in brilliant autumn colors. What a heady mix of excellent wines and tempting foods.
When I returned early Saturday morning hoping to beat the crowd, it was already too late. Of course, there was plenty of seating and I was lucky to find someone I knew who made room for me at his table. At each seat was a sea of wine glasses (16), a plate of English water crackers and a white plastic container that would serve as a spittoon.
Traditional wine tasting ritual is to sight the wine for color, then swirl, sniff, sip and spit (reluctantly, in some cases), into the spittoon.
We were tasting the very best 10 of the top 100 wines chosen by Wine Spectator experts for 2001 (2002 wines had not yet been rated).
A panel that included illustrious winery owners expounded on the characteristics of their wines while we chatted among ourselves -- "Was that more cherries than violets that I tasted?" "Cherries for sure, I tasted them, too." It's all part of the game that makes wine tastings so popular.
Our six other glasses were part of the next portion of the program -- Chefs of The Venetian. Onstage were Emeril Lagasse, Piero Selvaggio and Joachim Spichal. We would taste foods made by each chef and drink the two wines each had chosen to best complement their dishes. Portions were bite-size. Each chef had to abide by the same rules. Creativity is not inspired by following rules. The banter among the chefs was priceless.
Spichal presented seared tuna with avocado and soy-cooked onions -- layers of sushi-grade tuna, avocado and green onions in ponzu sauce. It was a delicious mosaic of flavors. His wine choices: La Poussie Sancerre 2000 ($17) and Charles Joguet Chinon Clos de la Cure 2000 ($17).
Tortelli di Ricotti alle Due Salse (tortelli with ricotti and two sauces) was Selvaggio's offering. His wine picks: Feudi di San Gregorio Fiano di Avellino 2001 ($40) and Morgante Nero d'avola Sicilia Don Antonio 2000 ($28).
Lagasse's Slow-Roasted Kahlua Pork with his own AOK Sauce and Green Onion Biscuits was cooked until it fell apart and looked like pulled pork. It was piled high on the buttery biscuit. His wine choices: Caymus Conundrum ($26) California 2001 and Gemstone Red Wine Yountville Napa Valley 1999 (no longer available).
Another Wine Experience highlight was the exclusive tasting of five Bordeaux 1989 and 2000 vintages "from prestigious second growth chateaus."
Saturday night's Grand Award banquet with entertainment by self-proclaimed "Godfather of Soul" James Brown was a finger snapping, dancing in the aisles affair.
Brown is a personal favorite of Shanken, who met the ageless star when he was going to college. Shanken introduced Brown with all the fervor of a still ardent fan. The crowd roared its approval, with people jumping to their feet, standing on chairs and singing tunes that they still remembered. What a kick! What a cool weekend.
Still to come -- Cigar Aficionado's Big Smoke Las Vegas, Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 at Paris Las Vegas. Priced at $150 for each night, Big Smoke combines food and wine with fine cigars. This is another cool event. Cigar makers are as congenial as winemakers, only more colorful. I dig the duds on some of these dudes.
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