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Aureole Restaurant - in the Mandalay Bay Resort

Saturday, November 3rd, 2007
Let's face it - when you go to Vegas, it's all over the top. It's not enough to be a great restaurant. You need a gimmik to make it noteworthy and to stand apart from the competition. Chef Charlie Palme's Aureole has chosen wine as their over the top signature statement.

I could talk about the food, but I would have to say it's about par with the rest of the Vegas scene. Great juicy steaks, etc. I was dining on a prix fixe menu, as I was with a large group. My options were typical (an ahi appetizer, a filet, and a nice dessert). So my knowledge of the menu is limited, but I was very happy with what they offered, and my meal.

Now, let's jump to the fun part - their take on wine.

Aureole decided not to bury their 10,000 + bottles of wine selections in a basement or cellar. Instead, they opted to encase it in an acrylic tower that spans four stories (42 feet) through the center of the restaurant. When you enter the restaurant, you pass by this absolutely amazing tower of wine, displayed for all to see - from all four sides. Yes, it's cool to look at. But even MORE COOL? How they retrieve the wine. A beautiful woman, dressed in a sleek black leotard is hoisted up like a trapeze artist for every bottle. She is referred to as the "Wine Angel" and she's absolutely delightful to watch. Every time a bottle of wine is order, it's retrieved by the Wine Angel. She's a mesmerizing acrobat as she flies up within the encased tower, plucking your order our of her acrylic Heavens.

For Aureole Las Vegas' master sommelier, Steven Geddes, "It's a grandiose way of making wine and focal centerpieces of the restaurant, showing that it is an integral part of the dining experience. The spectacle immediately breaks down the snobbery and arrogance in wine service, so that it's open, understandable, accessible, and about getting the customers the wines they want. In Europe, wine is part of everyday life. We're going in that direction, but we're not there yet. The tower helps break down the mystique and makes it fun."

The average price of the bottles they're selling is $125 to $150, and Geddes says the customers range from "one snob collector who thought it was blasphemy" to "a guy who just pointed at the tower and said, 'that's the one I want.' He chose the wine based on the color cap." Above all, Geddes says, the tower shows that "wine is for the world: it's about good times, good people, and the art, religion, and passion of it all. Sometimes I just stand back, look at the tower, and laugh."

Overall - review? Do go to Aureole. The wine angel is something we've all dreamed about!! Restaurant Website