Double Helix Wine Bar; Palazzo, Las Vegas

Helix, Smelix, Double-Belix ... We Didn't Hate Double Helix!!

One of the things we love about Las Vegas is all the unexpected stuff you can find, even wandering around an upscale shopping mall where you still can't afford to buy anything when it's priced at a 50% markdown. I am here to tell you that in the armpit of Mid-America no self-respecting mall would place a wine bar right in the midst of its promenade ... not when that space could be occupied by cell phone salespeople, hand massagers, hair-braiders, and tin jewelery hawkers. Besides, wine bars aren't considered nearly as family friendly as indoor romper rooms crawling with toddler germs.

Well, not so the Shops at Palazzo. Right smack dab in the middle of their luxury shopping emporium sits a 2,100 square foot wine bar which features more than 50 wines from around the world; they are available in 2-ounce tasting portions or 5-ounce pours. Guests can also choose from pre-selected wine flights or create a personalized flight more to their taste. If you're hungry as well as thirsty there are some light snacks available to order from Emeril's Table 10, located right around the corner from the bar and its wine boutique. The boutique carries about 300 different wines, and we didn't think most of them were too badly priced considering the location. They also sell wine accessories, books, and slightly tacky gifts that no self-respecting wine lover would ever buy for a fellow wineaux.

The Bar, shot #1


The Bar, shot #2

Jay and I decided to create our own wine flight and chose two reds and one white; we also ordered a cheese plate because it was a moral imperative - if we didn't have one here we weren't going to have another opportunity for the rest of the day and I needed my fromage fix!!

Our wines were as follows, with notes provided by the wine bar:

Chassagne Montrachet "Vieilles Vignes" Red Burgundy, France 2005; earthy bouquet with lots of red and black fruit that reveals a silky texture on the palate. I liked this one the best because it was a lighter, fruitier red and oh-so-smooth - it went down nice and easy!

MollyDooker Shiraz, South Australia 2008; intense flavors of blueberry, mint chocolate, and subtle pepper. Errrr ... OK, if they say so. Fruity? Yes. Chocolate-minty? No. Still good? Absolutely. This was Jay's top pick of the flight - Shiraz has always been one of his favorite wines.

Paco & Lola Albarino, Rias Baixas, Spain 2007; racy and refreshing wine with aromas of fresh peaches, almonds, and basil. To paraphrase Susie Fogelson from the midterm judging session of The Next Food Network Star, "We find you sort of forgettable now."

Wine flight with the flash ...

Wine flight sans flash...

The cheese plate made me happy because it was just what we like to see in cheese paired with wine - mild selections designed to enhance, rather than battle, the characteristics of the wines. There was a light cheddar, a brie, and a young parmesan. There was plenty of crostini to smear with the brie ... too much, really ... I preferred it smeared on those luscious strawberries that accompanied the cheese. Overall it was a simple, generous cheese plate that paired well with all three wines and we really enjoyed it.

Cheese me!!

This was a great place to stop and relax mid-day; it was quiet and calm and completely enjoyable. We had attentive service from one of the wine stewards who was happy to make recommendations based on her preferences as well as ours and we were welcome to stay as long as we liked. Had we not partaken of a large breakfast earlier in the day we might have been tempted to order dessert - they offer a tasting of three wine-infused ice creams for about ten dollars! Next time we may just have to give that a try because it sure sounded pretty good. And if you love wine and the chance to put together your own tasting flight, you could do a lot worse than to stop at Double Helix and check out their offerings - and don't forget the cheese plate!