Anatomy of a Wine List
Ask and ye shall receive Mr. Mariani.
Are you, like uber-critic John Mariani, wondering what a contemporary wine list in one Aria’s hot new restaurants looks like? Then take a gander at what GM Tobias Peach (along with Rob Bigelow, Mike Shetler, and Juan Martinez) has put together to match Shawn McClain’s contemporary cuisine at Sage:
Several things jump out at you. The prices (moderate); the selection (eclectic); and the size (manageable).
A 2005 trophy list put together by a “wine director” beholden to a large distributor this is not.
Instead, what you find is a smattering of bargain bottles, some interesting gems, lots of beauties under a Benjamin, and a few high priced eye-poppers on hand for whenever gambling fools and their money need to be parted.
We also love the by-the-glass selection, containing nothing over $20.
This is a lean and mean list, priced to sell, but sacrificing nothing in the quality department. A list that begs you to order a second bottle.
In other words: the list we’ve been waiting for in a top flight Strip restaurant for ten years.
Restaurant reviews, quips, picks and pans-with some seriously salivating history-from the man who eats his way through Sin City every day.
January 11th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Wine director Mr. Rob Bigalow & Sommeliers Mike Shetler & Juan Martinez deserve alot of credit for the wine list. We very lucky to have them all on our team.
cheers!
-Peach
January 12th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
I love the look of that wine list. Priced for the times with some lovely selections. Gone are the days I’ll spend big money on wine with dinner. I’ve already decided what I’ll eat at Sage when I go in March, now I’ve chosen two bottles of wine! Can’t wait.
January 12th, 2010 at 8:17 pm
When it comes to affordable wine lists, and variety, and excellence, ELV simply cannot give enough pub and credit and accolades to Marche Bacchus. A veritable hall of fame on a fake lake in the middle of – lets face it- nowhere.
The selection is thoughtful, inspiring and for the price unbeatable. You can’t say enough about the wine list. It is simply Magnificent.
January 13th, 2010 at 11:40 am
The other great thing about Marche Bacchus’ wine list is that everything is 10% off on Mondays. Even adds to the unbeatable-ness of what they offer!
January 14th, 2010 at 4:40 am
This is a nice looking list. Unfortunately things are still at the point where we are heaping praise on 3x mark up.