Mandalay Bay Announces Fabulous Wine and Spirits Weekend
By: Sheri Wetherell
Published: August 13, 2012

After three successful years of the Aureole Wine Weekend, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino has expanded the much-anticipated culinary event to a property-wide extravaganza celebrating the best in the world of food, wine and spirits. Throughout the three-day affair, guests will have opportunities to savor meals from master chefs as well as experience exclusive wine tasting, blending, and mixology lessons led by industry experts.
Venues such as Fleur by Hubert Keller, miX Lounge, Aureole and STRIPSTEAK a Michael Mina restaurant will host enticing culinary events plus, intimate sessions will be held throughout the resort at such hotspots at eyecandy sound lounge & bar and Moorea Beach Club. Tickets start at $100 or enjoy the entire roster of events for $950.
The incredible weekend will feature:
 Friday, August 17
7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Discover Your New Favorite Wine
	Guests are invited to meet and mingle with their fellow wine weekenders at this kick-off event perched high atop THE hotel at miX Lounge. As they take in the spectacular views of the beautiful Las Vegas Strip and nibble on tray-passed hors d’oeuvres, Mandalay Bay Wine Director Christophe Tassan and Master Mixologist Duggan McDonnell will invite guests to discover the unique flavors of some of the best-kept secrets in wine and spirits.
Saturday, August 18
10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Bubbles Across The Globe at Fleur by Hubert Keller
Join Master Chef Hubert Keller (shown at right) at a late-morning provincial brunch of dishes such as Tomato Basil Tuna Tart and Cantaloupe Gazpacho with smoked duck breast paired with the finest in bubbly including Cava, Prosecco, Champagne, Sekt, Moscato and Bracchetto. 
1:30 p.m.– 2:30 p.m.
	“You be the Judge” France vs. California 
	Mandalay Bay Wine Director Christophe Tassan, along with Master Sommelier Jay James, will lead the group in a blind wine tasting of Old World French versus New World California Cabernet Sauvignons. Held at Aureole (left) this will be a true test for even the most avid wine connoisseur.
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Cachaca Classics
	At eyecandy sound lounge & bar, Master Mixologist Armando Rosario will invigorate the senses by introducing guests to Cachaca, the national spirit of Brazil. Participants will learn first-hand how to make great-tasting cocktails through an interactive presentation that goes through the Caipirinha and beyond.
3 p.m. – 4 p.m. Wine Blending Session
	Guests will have the opportunity to become master winemakers for an afternoon and reproduce a famous proprietary blend with single grape varietals. Held within the stunning miX dining room (right) , this distinctive blending experience will be led by Conn Creek Winemaker Mike McGrath and use Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
3 p.m. – 4p.m. Elevate your Dinner Party with Rum 
	Attendants at this interactive event will learn how to liven up their dinner parties with festive rum-based cocktails. Guests will gather at STRIPSTEAK where renowned Master Mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim will guide the group in a hands-on session and give them the tools to make their next affair an unforgettable one.
5 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. The “Master” Dinner 
	The weekend’s events reach the pinnacle with a six-course gastronomic adventure at Aureole. Executive Chef Vincent Pouessel will offer such delectable dishes as Colossal Shrimp Thermidor with forbidden rice casserole and sweet chili sauce as well as Garlic Basted Colorado Rack of lamb with braised pork belly stuffed piquillo pepper and wilted baby arugula. Each sumptuous course will be expertly paired by a Master Sommelier. This event is guaranteed to be decadent in every way possible.
9 p.m. – 11 p.m. Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw Private Dessert
Moorea Beach Club will become a private viewing area for the evening’s beach concert and guests will be treated to delicious desserts from Mandalay Bay Executive Pastry Chef Vincent Pilon. Dessert wines and special sakes will be carefully selected and cocktails by Bombay Sapphire Gin will be specially prepared to pair with Chef Pilon’s masterful creations. 
Sunday, August 19
 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Farmers Market 
	A farewell brunch will be held at STRIPSTEAK (left) where dishes created by Executive Chef Doug Bell using locally sourced and organic ingredients will be served. Donuts, beignets, waffles, omelets, a bacon station and more will prepare guests for their journey home and departures will be sweetened with fruit-friendly wines such as Loire Valley Chenin, Gamay Beaujolais, Dolcetto d’Alba and more.
For tickets, please visit mandalaybay.com/vino or call 877-305-3136.
Mandalay Bay
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino is a unique destination resort set on 120 lush acres on the Las Vegas Strip. The resort offers three distinct hotel experiences: Mandalay Bay, a AAA Four Diamond award-winning hotel, with 3,211 luxurious rooms and suites reflecting a modern tropical ambiance; THEhotel, a stand-alone, AAA Four Diamond all-suite hotel featuring 1,117 sophisticated suites; and Four Seasons Hotel, a AAA Five Diamond hotel-within-a-hotel, offering 424 rooms and suites. Mandalay Bay boasts an 11-acre tropical pool paradise, featuring real sand, a wave pool and the only climate-controlled, poolside gaming in the city.  Other property highlights include world-class entertainment at the 12,000-seat Mandalay Bay Events Center, award-winning dining by celebrity chefs and restaurateurs, Shark Reef Aquarium and the 1.7-million-square-foot Mandalay Bay Convention Center.  Mandalay Bay’s offerings also include BATHHOUSE Spa, House of Blues Concert Hall and restaurant, and The Shoppes at Mandalay Place, a collection of unique boutiques and restaurants. In 2013, Mandalay Bay will become home to a resident Cirque du Soleil production based on the music and choreography of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.   Mandalay Bay is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Resorts International™ (NYSE: MGM).  For more information and reservations, visit mandalaybay.com or call toll free at (877) 632-7800 or find us on Facebook and Twitter.
*Editorial Disclaimer: Foodista.com's travel expenses are being hosted by Mandalay Bay, please check back for full coverage of this event throughout the weekend.