Libations in Las Vegas: The Global Wine and Spirits Awards

Lingering question… do we need another wine and spirits competition?

Short answer…no.

Longer answer…perhaps, if it achieves something different.

According to a 2018 US News & World Report, Nevada - lead by Las Vegas - is the third highest alcohol consuming state in the nation.

No surprise there, but perhaps the surprise is that a wine and spirits competition in a city so defined by alcohol hasn’t happened before. Well, technically, the Las Vegas Global Wine and Spirits Awards has happened and 2019 was just the second show, and yes, I was invited to be a judge. There’s your caveat.  I’ve been a professional judge for 15 years and when I was first offered the gig, I admit I was just a little dubious.

Then I met Eddie Rivkin.

"I have no sponsors, no advertising. I am in no one’s pocket,” competition owner and founder Eddie Rivkin tells me as we sit in his suite at the Palace Station Casino the night before the judging starts. “I couldn't believe no one had done a competition in my fair city.” Frankly, neither can I.  “I have no opinion on the wines, I have no palate to speak of, and I don't drink,” he says.

And it's important to take him at his word. In my dealings with him he appears to be a straight shooter someone who just wants to run a wine/spirits competition and curiously a person who doesn't drink and admits he’s never even visited Napa. And he doesn’t seem to care about either. As he tells me, he has “even less than a dog in this fight.” So, why does someone run a wine and spirits competition that has no vested interested in the beverage industry? And that question is the rub.

“All I’ve got is my integrity.” He lets the wines speak for themselves and the judges to award the wines the way they want. Among the judges: a sommelier, wine buyers, media representing Robert Parker, Wine Enthusiast, and wine educators, among others. His goal is as a businessman, one who runs a competition, not one who wants free alcohol.

The Judges

And I appreciate that. Integrity was also the word to define the winners

when we judges selected the 2018 Oak Farm Fiano (a what?) from Lodi (where?) to be the Best of Show White Wine.

We were thrilled.

Eddie was perplexed.

The Rodney Strong 2015 Sonoma County Merlot won Best of Show Red Wine.

We were thrilled.

Eddie was less perplexed. At least he’d heard of Merlot.

And though you may not have heard of the Las Vegas Global Wine and Spirits Awards…you will. This isn’t a roll of the dice, this competition is here to say.