The Rio Wine Cellar
Hours: Mon – Thur 4pm – 10pm;
Fri & Sat 3pm – 11pm; Sunday 3pm – 10pm
Cost: $$ – $$$ (expect to pay between $20 and $70)
Haydn gives it: 4 1/2 stars out of five

There are a lot of things Vegas is known for— gambling, anything remotely sinful (including the design of the carpets in the casinos), and of course, drinking. Yet, when it comes to wine, the high end wines seem to start with the word Sutter and end with Home.

Years ago I did a frantic search for a decent bottle of wine in Vegas where the costs of the bottle didn’t result in me taking out a second mortgage. A good search online yielded the Wine Cellar at the Rio. With a $10 million wine portfolio, I was excited, but nervous on their prices and overall selection. With $10 mil, one could easily buy up all the Bordeauxs in the World and forget about the common man who can only afford a regular cab. Thankfully the Wine Cellar is anything but.

With bottle in hand (have wine, will travel), I wrangled in a few friends to split the cherished liquid plus a bottle we’d buy there. If you buy a bottle at the Rio, they’ll waive the corkage on the one you brought—cool. In a land of incredulous markups, free corkage is heavenly.

Once I arrived, the next goal was to find a wine my party, where one primarily drinks white and the other is a red fan, would like. Thankfully, the entire bottle selection available for purchase is easily displayed around the entire cellar. So off I went, like a kid in an over-21 candy store to find a bottle that was priced somewhat decently (yes, they still do Vegas markups).

We passed many gorgeous bottles, including a Rothchild that was apparently owned by Thomas Jefferson worth $200k along with a couple double magnums of Tattinger and few other overpriced Bordeauxs.

Knowing what their tastes were, I selected the Cabernet Sauvignon by Benzigner. The price was adaquete and the clean taste in their wines, I feel, would appeal to the white wine friend. My suspicion was right that she was not a tannin friend, to which the sustainable growing mixed with light tannins fit her perfectly.

The waitress opened both of our bottles, brought out wine glasses, water glasses and a handful of bread slices, and we kicked back on the big leather chairs in the cellar. In one word—wonderful. The Rio would make any Steve Spurrier smile with the proper storage, stemware and prompt attention.

In a world where Tequila flows like Niagra falls and beers are revered in the same way Elvis is, it is great to know the wine snob / critic isn’t left having to decide between Beringer White Zin and Sutter Home White Zin.

The one caveat to this place is that it is literally below the casino floor in the Rio. There are no signs pointing to it’s location and half the staff has no idea of it’s exact location (though they can easily point you to the Chippendales). But with a little sleuthing, you’ll find a beautiful gem located in a sea of sand that only pretends to only sparkle. While I can’t say I’m excited to come back to Vegas any time soon, I can say that if I do have to make the trek out to Sin City, I know that I can unwind with a glass of premium wine that doesn’t start with the word white and end with the word Zinfandel.

Cheers,
Haydn

—————————-
Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com