Somebody must have made this observation before, but I’ll be darned if I can find the quote anywhere in my wine library or online.
So, at least for the time being, I’m taking credit: Wine is bottled magic.
Robert Louis Stevenson observed, “Wine is bottled poetry.” But this isn’t about rhymes; it’s about good times. (And that’s as close to poetry as you’re going to get in this blog!)
We got a visual representation of my observation recently when “America’s Got Talent” season nine winner Mat Franco returned to the program and performed this wine-themed magic trick:
Today, Franco performs daily, except Wednesday, at The LINQ Theater in Las Vegas.
The LINQ development includes not only a hotel, casino and theater, but an entertainment district that leads to Las Vegas’ newest attraction, the High Roller observation wheel.
If you want to make a full evening of it, The LINQ offers a number of dining options, including Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen & Bar. For wine lovers, however, there’s only one place to go: the ironically named Off the Strip.
This is the second outpost of Off the Strip, the first located in the quiet Southern Highlands neighborhood on the far south end of town. (When you drive in to Vegas from Southern California, you’ll go right by it without ever seeing it.) The idea shared by founders Tom Goldsbury and the late Al Hubbard was to create “a local hideaway that served above-average, Strip-quality eats ranging from hearty to healthy.”
That location is still operating and delighting locals, and its focus on quality food and personal service has been duplicated at The LINQ. The menu places the same emphasis on great steaks and other comfort food, along with a well-selected wine-by-the-glass list. You’ll find names like J. Lohr, Kim Crawford, Dr. Loosen, Frank Family, Joel Gott, Justin, Tobin James and more.
And, as we all know, when you pair the right wine with the right dish… it’s culinary magic.
Now, if only we could figure out a way to turn one bottle of wine into nine, a la Mat Franco.
