The Wine Lover's Guide To Vegas

Whether you lean towards redwine, white wine, sparkling wines, or any other variety you’ll be able to find something to enjoy in Vegas -- and often for free if you’re not a wine snob who turns their nose up at cheaper wines. Vegas may be better known for its neon and casino games but much of its allure for millions of visitors each year lies away from the gaming tables, with world class restaurants, entertainment, and the chance to sample top US wines as well as other vintages from around the globe.

Most casinos will provide free drinks for any patron who’s gambling at slot machines or table games, so if you’re not picky about the wine you drink you’ll be able to enjoy glass after glass of free wine as you gamble. As you might expect, unless you’re a high roller and playing at the highest of stakes you shouldn’t expect the finest wine to be served up for free, so temper your expectations accordingly. Higher end casinos such as the Wynn, Palazzo, Venetian, and Bellagio tend to offer slightly better free drinks in general, so try to spend your gambling dollars there (even if you’re staying in another hotel).

If you’re after the best wine that Vegas has to offer, be sure to plan a visit to some of the dedicated wine bars that focus on one thing only: giving wine lovers the widest choice of the finest wines. The Wine Cellar at the Rio heads the pack of wine bars in the city, offering up more than 50,000 bottles of wine and 100 different varieties available by the glass. The Wine Cellar also owns a bottle of Madeira originally owned by Thomas Jefferson, as well as plenty of other interesting artifacts and pieces of wine lore.

Other popular wine bars in Vegas include Nora’s Wine Bar & Osteria, the Double Helix Wine Bar at the Palazzo, and Aureole at Mandalay Bay (which houses its wine in a unique four story tower with an automated system to fetch your bottle when you order it).