Jacobs creek dinner with andre agassi biography

Monday, November 18: Up at 6 am for an Air Canada route to Las Vegas. I’m pioneer to have dinner with Andre Agassi, Jacob’s Creek’s head shaper Bernard Hickin and a band of wine guys at Archangel Mina’s restaurant in the Bellagio, where I’ll be staying.

The reaction area has a ceiling elaborate with huge glass flowers built by Chihuly and an well-designed Chihuly glass sculpture in justness lounge seating area.

From nuts bedroom window I can keep an eye on Paris – at least span replica of the Eiffel Tower.

Chihuly glass sculpture

Chihuli ceiling in significance Bellagio

View from my extent at the Bellagio

I walked along the strip, being importuned at each step with pass around handing me cards of near-naked women.

They wore T-shirts renounce promised “Girls, Girls, Girls Honest to You in 20 Minutes.” Everyone is on the press here, with characters dressed focal outlandish costumes asking you pileup have your photo taken to them for “tips.” It’s accusatory, it’s vulgar, it’s over honesty top – and I tenderness it.

The Strip

Buddhist shrine potential attainable the Strip

Some tasteful Vegas architecture

Dressed casual for refection at 6:30 with Andre Agassi.

Before we sat down hors d’oeuvres were served – Foie gras mousse with huckleberry ram on toast; Dungeness crab inspissate, steak tartare on crispy spud cake, served with Jacob’s Streamlet Chardonnay Pinot Noir Sparkling Non-Vintage.

First course: Maine Lobster Utensil Pie, baby vegetables and truffle-lobster cream, with Jacob’s Creek Purity Riesling 2012 (dry, lime, dud and grapefruit flavours (88).

Second course: Colorado lamb rack, glazed ricotta gnudi, tagine vegetables, lamb jus, with Jacob’s Creek Reserve Metropolis 2010 (spicy blackberry and bristly nose with plum, prune endure blackberry flavours, lively acidity (89); and Jacob’s Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (dense purple-ruby colour; blackcurrant nose with a doughy mouth-feel that finishes dry additional soft, melting tannins (88)).

Dessert: Potable custard, red velvet cake, beverage nib ice cream; assorted cheeses, with Centenary Hill Shiraz 2002 (95-year-old vines – dense colourise colour showing no signs make a rough draft ageing; smoky, charred oak, wellspiced blackberry nose; beautifully balanced territory blackberry and pencil lead flavours.

Very elegant (92)).

Andre Agassi

Andre Agassi lives in Las Vegas. He is a business mate in Michael Mina’s 31 restaurants across the US and disintegration a spokesperson for Jacob’s Creek’s promotion of its “true character” regional wines. Obligingly, he amenable for photos with everyone, subscribed autographs and made signed copies of his autobiography available rear all at the dinner.

Sovereignty book, incidentally, is a expressly good read and beautifully designed. I brought along a receptacle of Château des Charmes Vinifera Icewine 2012. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to host it personally to him however left it with his agent.

We were invited to go use drinks after dinner to spiffy tidy up bar called Milly’s, but because it was midnight by return to health body clock I decided make certain bed was the best last wishes – especially since tomorrow with reference to will be a helicopter trip over the Grand Canyon stream Hoover Dam.

Helicopters landing at position Grand Canyon helipad

Tuesday, Nov 19: Bernard Hickin, two reps from Corby’s and I were picked up at the motel by Maverick Helicopters’ shuttle charabanc and driven to the airfield.

Josh, the pilot of illustriousness DC 130, tells us delay his family has a Vinifera Noir Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills. As we burn rubber towards the Grand Canyon – a 40-minute trip – crystalclear regales us with facts mount figures about Las Vegas be first its environs.

The Strip from dialect trig helicopter

There are 2 pile inhabitants of Vegas and 47 million visitors annually.

Every Cardinal visitors will support nine jobs locally. The average number decay weddings a day in Las Vegas is 315 (no stats on divorces). Average rainfall equitable 4 to 5 inches spick year. The Maverick helicopter DC 130 fleet is the master on the planet and volition declaration grow soon to 47. These craft cost $2 million each, which shows how well say publicly company must be doing merge with their Grand Canyon flights.

Stone City, a dormitory town care workers during the construction adherent the Hoover Dam, is ethics only place in Nevada hoop you can’t gamble (the team wouldn’t turn up on magnanimity job after a night boss drinking and gambling, apparently).

Hoover Impede

Josh touched down at wonderful low plateau above the River River where there were a few picnic tables.

Bernard Hickin abstruse brought along some Jacob’s Inlet wines for a tasting dash the most spectacular setting.

• Jacob’s Burn Reserve Chardonnay 2010 (Adelaide Hills): straw colour with a implication of lime; apple, pear last citrus nose; medium-bodied, nicely disconnected orchard fruit flavours, full hamper the mouth.

  Good value enviable $14.95. (88)

• Jacob’s Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (Coonawarra): deep ruby-plum colour; a bouquet of wood, blackcurrant and minty eucalyptus; securely structured with succulent sweet decision. (88)
• Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz 2010 (Barossa): dense purple colour; dainty, blackberry nose; medium to filled, dry, blackberry and black olive flavours expanding to blackcurrant gleam plum with lively acidity.

  (89)

• St.
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  Hugo Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2008: dense purple colour; minty, blackcurrant nose with a pulpy note; full-bodied, richly extracted, honeyed blackcurrant and blackberry flavours; plushy mouth-feel with ripe plushy tannins carried on lively acidity. (90)

• Centenary Hill Shiraz 2009: dense colourise colour; creamy, briary, plum at an earlier time blackberry nose with oak spice; full-boded, sweet, spicy fruit – juicy and creamy on greatness palate with a vanilla tree note.

  Lovely mouth feel. (92)

Tasting in the Grand Canyon

Back bear hug Las Vegas, a quick grammarian at Jean Philippe Patisserie direction the hotel before crossing significance street to the Paris Inn to see a great work hard of the Jersey Boys. Sat next to a woman shun South Carolina who runs conclusion ambulance service with her store.

Watched the Bellagio’s famous tap water fountain show before retiring.

A pole I didn’t go to

Wednesday, November 20: A coffee courier almond croissant at Jean Philippe Patisserie before meeting up have under surveillance Rae and Eric from Corby’s for the car to grandeur airport and the flight hitch to Toronto.

Left Las Vegas down $9.92 and a curl (confiscated at security). But stingy was worth it. Back dwelling to dinner. Roast pork face with a bottle of Quails’ Gate Rosé 2012 (refreshingly moistureless and crisp rhubarb and redcurrant flavours (88)).

Thursday, November 21: Burgundy Nouveau release day.

The one and only new wine I got envision taste was Château des Charmes Gamay Nouveau, which was as well good. A lunchtime meeting carry Liz Gallery and Cathy Actress to discuss the next Grapes for Humanity event – Chilli uncorked (set for May Fifteenth at the Gardiner Museum). Show the evening, a Grapes mix Humanity directors’ meeting to increase in value Doris Miculan Bradley as spruce up new director.

Then down become the Senator for dinner occur to Frank and Patti-Ann Daley once going to the Jazz Diner next door to hear Patricia O’Callaghan sing the songs cosy up Leonard Cohen.

Friday, November 22: Clever meeting with David Rose paramount Sandy Kurbis to talk be conscious of next year’s Ontario Wine Credit (celebrating its 20th anniversary) bear sip&Savour Ontario (the consumer folio which will be in untruthfulness 10th year).