I’ve had a few questions from (Friends? Fans? Admirers? Stalkers?) asking why do I blog? And why, for goodness sakes, would I focus on such a narrow niche as wine etiquette in Las Vegas?

Assuming that these questions come from a place of really wanting to know – as opposed to trying to get me to stop – I can think of only one answer.

Passion.

I’ve always *liked* wine.  Just like many other Boomers, I started with Mogen David or Boone’s Farm. Hey! It’s a start! And it’s wine … kind of.

My journey to so-called “good” wines took a couple of decades, and it was the man to whom I’m now committed who introduced me to my first wine of substance.  I can still see that experience as clearly as if it had happened yesterday.  The expectant look on his face which turned to a broad smile as I “got it.”  It was a rich and luscious port, and the layers danced on my tongue.  I was hooked.

It was many years and many false starts later before I hit my stride.

… Continue Reading

I had a brand new bio more or less written out and then found this one in the dead database files. Oh what the heck (I said). I haven’t changed much and neither have my goals!

Enjoy!

So what – or who – is the Vegas Wineaux? And why does she want to see people enjoy wine? Isn’t wine just for snobs or the very rich? Now, that’s where the Vegas Wineaux and Combatting Swirl Envy come in to rid everyone of those notions. Because anyone can achieve wine snob status.

Irene has been passionate about wines for most of her life. From the first time that she tentatively sipped her grandmother’s homemade apple wine, she has been fascinated by this magical elixir. Through the years she has continued to enjoy wine in its many forms. She joined wine clubs, haunted tastings and wineries, subscribed to wine magazines, hosted and attended home wine-tasting events, and took as many classes as she could – both privately and at the local Community College – to learn as much as possible about wines.

Her wine epiphany came when she tasted a truly fine wine and realized that wine was more than just Mogen David or Boone’s Farm. And while her path to full wine enjoyment has occasionally taken her to other life adventures, the past five years has seen her singularly focus on the appreciation of wines and the pleasure that they give.

Irene’s years as a technical trainer has served her well in the world of wine. An appreciation for clear-cut information and detail morphed into an ethereal enjoyment and respect of the skill and knowledge that it takes to produce wines of quality. Her years of experience as a bartender and bar manager and years-long membership in the American Wine Society have given her a respect for and heightened her appreciation of wines and enhanced her ability to fully understand and discern the qualities within them. She has the skills, love, and ability to share her knowledge and passion for this elixir with anyone who wants to learn.

So what is this Vegas Wineaux thing about? It’s about starting from square one when it comes to wines. It’s about learning the ABCs before learning how to read. In other words, before one can become a Wine Snob, one must start off as a Neophyte. One must learn about Combatting Swirl Envy – that feeling you get when you see true wine snobs swirl and savor their wine. This is a fun way to get a solid foundation before tackling the business of learning about types, regions, and styles of wine, and Vegas Wineaux is just the one to start you on your journey.

Testing all of the categories.  I think we’ve finally beat the disastrous server meltdown we had last week, and quite a journey.

Vegas Wineaux is being launched as a brand new site, and the old posts will return as we filter through old databases one at a time.  And it will definitely be one at a time because of the complexity of grabbing the old stuff.  The great thing is that at least it’s there, even if it has to go through several steps to be usable again.

Stay tuned!