We find a real treat from Bryan Babcock in the Santa Ynez Valley

As many of our readers know, we are always on the look out for some special and many times surprising wines . We found one when we visited Babcock Winery in the Santa Ynez Valley made by renowned winemaker
Bryan Babcock.

One of California's stars in winemaking is Bryan Babcock. He was selected by the Los Angeles Times as one of the "Ten Best Winemakers of the Year". Since 1984 Bryan has been producing wines of from his family owned winery located on the far western edge of the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County.

The James Beard Foundation chose Bryan as one of the "Top Ten Small Production Winemakers in the World," the only American chosen. In choosing Bryan for this award, David Moore wrote, "Bryan Babcock best exemplifies the traits I look for in a great winemaker. The quality of Bryan's wines speak for themselves, yet it is his personal commitment to excellence that stands out so much. His relentless experimentation, his willingness to explore the possibilities with so many grape varieties, and his aesthetic are a world apart from the usual American approach to winemaking." And we could not agree more. Bryan is an exceptional talent.

We visited Babcock wines right in the middle of the harvest buz and saw the winery in production. The tasting room was filled with guests sampling many of the well known Babcock wines and one guest suggested we experience something very special . We travel the Sta Rita Hills often and it is not very common to find a Cabernet. So we were very intrigued.

Babcock "NUCLEUS" Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Estelle Vineyard Santa Ynez Valley

The nose of this wonderful Cabernet showed hints of violets spice and vanilla. In the glass it was medium bodied and on the palate it exploded with fruit and casis with a long silky elegant finish.



The cool climate of Santa Barbara County pushed Cabernet Sauvignon to the background. Since 1996 Babcock winery has been fine tuning a Bordeaux-styled red blend called FATHOM. Once Cabernet Franc based, with the recent development of the warmer "Happy Canyon" area of the eastern Santa Ynez Valley, the program now includes a greater percentage of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and maybe other Bordeaux varietals.
The result has been so successful that Cabernet Sauvignon is now one of the key varietals at Babcock Vineyards. "New Epoch Reserve", "Classic Rock Cuvée" are offered annually. Vineyard designated bottling are available under the limited production "Terroir Exclusives" wine club program.






















For more information on Babcock Winery and directions to their tasting room please visit http://www.babcockwinery.com/

Zaca Mesa Winery rolls out the red carpet to its guests and we enjoy the legendary Black Bear Block Syrah at the vineyard for dinner

In Santa Barbara County many of the best wineries can be found along Foxen Canyon Road. We headed out Foxen Canyon to one of the founding vineyards in Santa Barbara county, Zaca Mesa.

The Sun was beginning to set over Foxen Canyon Road and the fog settling into to the valley as we made our way down this well known wine trail. Sounds of music and aromas of some culinary delights brought us to the Zaca Mesa winery for their festivities around the annual “Unleashing of the Bear”.



Zaca Mesa is located in the northern most portion of Santa Ynez Valley AVA and is is only 30 miles from the Pacific Ocean. Unlike most parts of the California coast, these valleys orient east-west, opening directly to the cooling marine influences that include morning fog and afternoon breezes making the Zaca Mesa vineyard a unique site for growing grapes.

The original property was purchased in 1972 and planted the vineyard in 1973. The vineyard was originally planted with numerous varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Chardonnay, and Syrah.

Zaca Mesa was one of the first wineries in Santa Barbara County since Prohibition. As the vineyard grew and viable production began, a winery was built on the estate in 1978 and later expanded in 1981.

By the early 1990’s, they found that (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Viognier, and Roussanne) grew the best on their site and became decided to focus on the grapes varieties of the Rhône Valley of France. In 1995 when Wine Spectator placed the 1993 Syrah #6 on their Top 100. It is still the only Santa Barbara County wine to break into their top 10. The Zaca Mesa Syrah was served by President Clinton to French President Chirac at the White House.

As one of the pioneers in the Santa Barbara County, Zaca Mesa was a training ground for many. Ken Brown was our first winemaker and later started Byron in Santa Maria Valley. Jim Clendenen and Bob Lindquist worked at Zaca Mesa before venturing out on their own to start Au Bon Climat and Qupé, respectively. Other alumni include Lane Tanner, Daniel Gehrs.

Winemaker Eric Mohseni graduated from California State University at Long Beach with a degree in food science and a minor in chemistry. His career began as a wine buyer at The Wine Country, a noted wine retailer in the Long Beach area.

In 1997, he took a break from wine retail, taking a harvest position at Edna Valley Vineyards. There he had his first dose of winemaking. “I will never forget the aromas from barreling down new wine into a new oak barrel. It gave me goose bumps.”

In 1999, he furthered his winemaking knowledge by serving as a member of the harvest crew of Esk Valley Estate in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand’s fifth largest vineyard. These experiences with launched his passion for winemaking.

In 2001, Eric joined Zaca Mesa as enologist. Over the years, he worked his way up to Assistant Winemaker, then to Associate Winemaker and finally to Winemaker in July 2008. Since joining Zaca Mesa, he has helped fine-tune the wine quality and refined the winery’s style resulting in wines that have character, integrity and a sense of place.

We joined Brook Williams , President of Zaca Mesa for an exquisite 5-course meal that was paired with the newest releases from the winery. The long-awaited launch of the 2006 Mesa Reserve Syrah and the , 2006 Black Bear Syrah, was shared for the first time.







Black Bear Syrah was the first Syrah planted in Santa Barbara County, back in 1978, with cuttings brought over from Chapoutier in the Hermitage region of the Northern Rhône—and still in existence in California.

2005 Black Bear Block Syrah, Estate Bottled Santa Ynez Valley
is a single 3 ½ acre block planted in 1978 on its own roots from cuttings brought over from Chapoutier in Hermitage region of the Northern Rhône and named for the many black bears that live around the vineyard. This was the first Syrah planted in Santa Barbara County and is now the oldest remaining Syrah vineyard on the Central Coast.

The grapes were hand harvested and destemmed then placed into small 1-ton open top bins to ferment with native yeast. During fermentation, the skins were punched-down by hand three times daily to develop rich color and fine tannins. Once dry, the wine was placed into new French oak barrels to age. After 21 months in barrel and a single racking, the wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

You definitely remember this wine once you have tasted it. It displays rich blackberry, cassis, mocha, cedar , sage and spice aromas and flavors. The finish lingers from the ripe tannins and smoky oak on the finish.


























In addition to the famous Black Bear Block we were also treated to the launch of the 2006 Mesa Reserve Syrah. 26 Months in French oak barrels gives this wine a classic old world style. This wonderful Syrah displayed rich blackberry, cassis, coffee and tobacco as well as sage and spice aromas and flavors.




The finish lingered from the ripe tannins and smokey oak. This is a full-bodied wine that shows the very special signature of the appellation.






We enjoyed the 2008 Viognier as well. This
Viognier is the Zaca Mesa Estate Bottled Santa Ynez Valley .

Viognier is a white grape variety that indigenous to the Rhône Valley of France. The winery has dedicated 37 acres of the vineyard to Viognier.


The grapes were hand harvested and began fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Halfway through fermentation, it was transferred to neutral French oak barrels. The wine was then aged for three months, but was not allowed to go through malolactic fermentation. This short barrel aging provides the wine with a classic rich, creamy mouth feel.

On the nose, aromas of honeysuckle and peach come through immediately. On the palate this Viognier is dry with notes of ripe apricot, lemon-lime, melon and lychee. It has a lingering finish with a slight touch of minerality.

Zaca Mesa has a tasting room that welcomes its guests to taste 5 to 7 of exclusive and most popular wines . They also offer a broad array of artisan cheeses, olives, and crackers for guests to enjoy at one of their many picnic tables in the courtyard. There is even a life-sized game of chess or you can take a short walk on their hiking trail. The tasting room is Open 10am-4pm daily.Extended summer hours Memorial Day through Labor Day until 5pm on Fridays & Saturdays.

6905 Foxen Canyon Road
Los Olivos, CA 93441
Tasting Room: (805) 688-9339 ext. 308
Fax: (805) 688-8796
E-mail: info@zacamesa.com











This dinner, paired with great wines in a beautiful vineyard was an incredible experience to say the least. A drive along Foxen Canyon Road and a visit to this area provides people with a true look at passion in winemakeing that we thought was long forgotten.






Join Elaine and Scott Harris of Vino Las Vegas as we speak to Zaca Mesa President Brook Williams as he explains many of the Zaca Mesa wines and enjoy a great dinner at the winery.

Ampelos Cellars makes history and receives some well deserved acclaim

The Sta Rita Hills produces some great world class wines. One stop you must make when you visit is Ampelos Cellars in Lompoc.

Owners Peter and Rebecca Work have an incredible story and are always available to taste their winery guests on some of their fantastic wines.

























Ampelos vineyard is one of the first vineyards to be certified as “sustainably farmed”. California is the first state to develop a measurable and recordable point system which covers 9 areas of farming practices. In order to qualify for vineyard certification, growers must farm in a way that protects both natural and human resources.


In 2006 they decided to implement 100% biodynamic farming practices with rich cover crops, their own compost, elimination of herbicides and in general good, environmentally conscientious farming. Then in 2008, they added another level to their commitment to good farming and community practices by participating in the pilot program for Sustainable Certifcation and are now one of the first vineyards in California to be granted the certification after years of hard work.




Ampelos has acquired some pretty high ratings as well for their wines.
James Laube from Wine Spectator tasted the 2006 Pinot Noir from Fiddlestix and reported in the February 2009 issue: “Spicy cherry and candied apple flavors are intense, full-bodied, and complex, holding onto the ripe fruit theme while remaining elegant and structured. Ends with a blueberry and wild berry mix. Drink now through 2013. 189 cases made. 92 points”



And he granted a pair of 92 points to the 2006 “Lambda” Pinot Noir and 2005 “Gamma” Syrah in the April 9th “Insiders Edition”. He noted the Lambda Pinot Noir has “Aromas and flavors of loamy earth, blueberry and wild berry are tight, focused and concentrated, gaining depth and richness. Ends tightly wound in a good way. Best from 2010 through 2015.—J.L.”
For the Gamma Syrah, James had this to say: "Firm and structured, with tight wild berry, spice, mineral and subtle cedary oak touches that are intense, vibrant, focused and persistent, ending with chewy tannins. Drink now through 2013.”












We stopped in to see how harvest was doing on our recent visit. After dropping in on the winery the previous day to a hum of harvest activity and a open house , we ended up early the next morning helping to harvest Pinot Noir.










When we arrived at the vineyard we saw the beautiful Sta Rita Hills with its trade mark "seasmoke"hanging over the valley. This is what makes great Pinot Noir with the maritime influence and the "smoke" hanging over the vineyard sometimes until midday.



Elaine from Vino Las Vegas grabbed the clippers and jumped right in grabbing the luscious Pinot Noir clusters in one hand and cutting them off the vine with the other.













The morning was cool and perfect to harvest the grapes and we moved down the rows quickly cutting the clusters off the vines before the "smoke" burns off and the day begins to warm. In our opinion the Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noirs are some of the best in the United States and very unique.





At Ampelos everything is done by hand. The grapes are even hand sorted in the Vineyard and placed in the picking bins and then its off to the winery for crush and punchdowns.





Ampelos is the greek name for "vine"and they produce some lovely varietals from Pinot Noir to Syrah and Grenache . Their hard work in and outside of the vineyard are getting this small family vineyard alot of well deserved attention.

L lambda pinot noir, sta. rita hills, ampelos vineyard, 2005 Bursting with rich cherry notes and the underlying flavor of cola, this pinot shows us what one more year of growth can do for vines. 91 points, Wine Enthusiast
L lambda pinot noir, sta. rita hills, ampelos vineyard, 2006 Bountiful red fruit dominates the black cherries and the underlying flavor of cola, accented with hints of exotic spice, gingerbread and warm earthiness.
r rho pinot noir, sta. rita hills, ampelos vineyard, 2005 The nose of brown sugar, sarsparilla, and bing cherries on this garnet hued beauty captivate at first scent. Offering a pleasing palate of cinnamon infused molé , dark berries and bing cherries, the 2005 rho is lush, and fruit driven with a big, long tannin structure that will aid beautifully in aging. 90 points, Wine Enthusiast 91 points, Wine Spectator
r rho pinot noir, sta. rita hills, ampelos vineyard, 2006 The nose of brown sugar, sarsparilla, and bing cherries on this garnet hued beauty captivate at first scent. Offering a pleasing palate of cinnamon infused molé , dark berries and bing cherries, the 2006 rho is lush, and fruit driven with a big, long tannin structure that will aid beautifully in aging.
G gamma syrah, sta. rita hills, ampelos vineyard, 2005 Gamma offers a nose of tasted oak and dark cherries. The palate of almonds, orange peel and dark chocolate are the signature of syrah from the ampelos vineyard. Gold Medal, Appellation America Best of Appellation
G gamma syrah, sta. rita hills, ampelos vineyard, 2006 Besides the long palate, gamma offers a nose of dark chocolate and sweet almond. Combined with cracked white pepper a signature of cool climate syrah in sta. rita hills.
e epsilon syrah, sta. rita hills, ampelos vineyard, 2005 A deep, dark garnet red color promises a big wine. the nose indicates spices and dark fruit as well as a little vanilla and crème brulee. The palate is big: candy, rainier cherries, chocolate-raspberry tart, a hint of cinnamon and violets while the oak flavors are light and very well integrated.
syrache, santa barbara county, syrah/grenache blend, 2005 Full of bright fruits on the nose and palate especially cherries. This wine is all about the fruit, not the oak. We made a dish of leftover lamb, potatoes, peppers, heirloom tomatoes, fresh black and white pepper, basil, thyme and chipotle for a kick - the syrache was dynamite along side. Give it a try! Gold Medal, LA International Wine & Spirits Competition
syrache, santa barbara county, syrah/grenache blend, 2006 Full of bright fruits on the nose and palate especially cherries. The wine is about the fruit and not the oak and is designed for those who like to explore

Join Elaine and Scott of Vino Las Vegas as they spend some time in the Ampelos vineyard , harvest some Pinot Noir and speak with Peter Work about this vineyard practices. For more information about Ampelos please visit www.Ampeloscellars.com

The Santa Barbara County Vintners take a break to Celebrate Harvest with great wine and local cuisine

The annual Celebration of Harvest is held in October each year, when the vineyards and wineries are in the middle of harvest . They take a very needed break to showcase their latest wines. This year's Celebration of Harvest was held on the beautiful grounds of Rancho Sisquoc Winery in the Santa Maria Valley.

In Santa Barbara County, the east-west orientation of the coastal mountains forms valleys opening directly to the Pacific Ocean. This unique landscape allows the flow of fog and ocean breezes to shape distinct microclimates, perfect for the cultivation of classic grape varietals and world class wines.





Within Santa Barbara County there are three distinct appellations: Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, and Sta. Rita Hills. In addition, the Los Alamos Valley region, between the Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley appellations.


























There are over 21,000 acres of vineyards planted in Santa Barbara County, many of those smaller, family owned properties. This all contributes to the diversity and quality that makes this wine growing region so unique. The old adage that “the wine is made in the vineyard” holds true, with vineyards being farmed by owners and vineyard managers and carefully assessed by a community of talented winemakers.



We have visited the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Festival held in April of each year. The Celebration of Harvest festival is held annually in October during the middle of harvest. As well as these great festivals themselves , these festival weekends are filled with open houses, winemaker dinners, special tastings and other very unique events.




This years theme for the celebration of harvest was " Grape to Glass". This wonderful event was held on the breath taking grounds of Rancho Sisquoc with views of the Santa Maria valley. This was not just a "wine tasting " event. There were opportunities to take home Pinot Noir cuttings with complete instructions on how to take care of this very special varietal . Guests could taste the juice of newly crushed grapes and see a mobile bottling line hard at work.



As local wine legend Bob Senn used to say “Wine is food to be consumed with food”, and it would be hard to find either a restaurateur or vintner in Santa Barbara Wine Country who would disagree. Even though the harvest is foremost in growers and winemaker’s minds, tomatoes, tomatillos, melons, apples, walnuts and a cornucopia of other local foods are also being harvested at the same time.This is why the annual “Celebration of Harvest Festival” sponsored by the Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Association also features bites and tastes from the area’s finest restaurants, caterers and specialty food purveyors as well.


“Wine and Food go together like yin and yang, salt and pepper, night and day”, enthuses Jim Fiolek, Executive Director of the Vintners’ Association. “Wineries and Restaurants are the same; one would not be successful without the other, and besides we all really enjoy each others company and products. We are thrilled to have over two dozen of our culinary colleagues joining us this year at our annual Celebration of Harvest festival. We can’t wait to see what delicious and inventive tastes they create!”

Guests were able to taste treats from Adrienne’s Gourmet Foods, Babé Farms, Bacara Resort, The Ballard Inn, Brother’s Restaurant at Mattei’s Tavern, Chef Rick’s, Decadence Desserts, Enterprise Fish Company, Far Western Tavern, Fresh and Easy of Santa Maria, Full of Life Flatbread, the Garden Room Restaurant, Global Gardens, Trattoria Grappolo, Here’s the Scoop!, Hitching Post II, Jessica Foster Confections, the Lompoc Kiwanis, Los Olivos Café, Mirabelle Inn Restaurant, New West Catering, the Olive House, Panera Bread of Santa Maria, Pearl Catering, Root 246, Santa Barbara Biscotti, Santa Barbara Jacek’s, the Santa Barbara Pistachio Company, the Staring Gate Restaurant, Trader Joes of Santa Maria, Trattoria Uliveto and The Willows Restaurant. Coffees were provided by Blue Sky Coffee and Rhythms Coffee & Smoothies.

















The wineries joined together with local chefs who specialize in wine country cuisine, specialty food Curveyors and local bands Lady Blue and House Red band provided the guests for a beautiful afternoon of great wines, superb foods and lively music .

For those who have been in wine country anywhere in the world during harvest they know how important and stress full this time of the year is. What the vineyard owners and winemakers do this time of year could make or break their entire vintage.





We have had the pleasure of traveling in Santa Barbara wine country for many years and have come to appreciate several aspects of this very unique wine growing area. In this area, you still deal with " farmer" vineyard owners , many of whom rise at 3AM to harvest their own grapes day after day until harvest is completed. They have true passion for what they do and you can taste this passion with every sip of a Santa Barbara County wine.













We plane to attend the Festival in the Spring. For more information on tickets, maps, and alot of great information please feel free to visit http://www.sbcountywines.com. Until then join Elaine and Scott Harris from Vino Las Vegas as we take you to the Celebration of Harvest and speak with winemaker Kathy Joseph from Fiddle Head cellars about the event and the challenges of the 2009 Harvest.

Mezzo Bistro Italiano and Jim Lambert of Stanley Lambert wines in Australia team up for a winemaker dinner to remember

Mezzo \Mez”zo\, a.[ It., from L. medius middle, half.]
We have had the opportunity to dine a Mezzo on many occasions. This lovely resturant located in the North West section of Las Vegas only proves what we have been saying for quite along time. There is great dinning OFF the famed Las Vegas Strip.




Mezzo uses only the best ingredients to create traditional dishes over seen by Chef Alfredo. The fish is brought in fresh daily and calamari is hand cut to order. Even their sausages and meatballs are ground and made in house as a well as their sauces and dressings. They even imported a wood burning oven from Naples, Italy just to have the best possible flavoring and addauthenticity to their dishes.
You cant have a great Italian restaurant without wine . They are continually changing their wine list offering wines from all over the world. With a list of over 100 wines by the bottle and more than 30 by the glass, there’s a great wine for for every palate.













On this occasion Jim Lambert from Stanley Lambert wines in the Barossa Valley was "in the house" to show off his great wines.
Winemaker Lindsey Stanley has been making award winning in the Barossa Valley for over 30 years and is considered one of the best around.











Jim Lambert and Chef Alfredo teamed up for a 5 course dinner with each course being paired with one of Jim's great Australian wines from the acclaimed Barossa.

With names like Pristine Chardonnay , Nordic Frost , Black Sheep , Silent Partner and Choc-a-bloc , we knew this would be a unique dinner that guests were sure to remember for quite some time.


















Wee Be Pumkin Bisque

Pumpkin Bisque , toasted pumkin seeds and ginger creme freich

Pristine Chardonnay , Barossa Valley 2008

This lovely unoaked Chardonnay with pear and melon flavors could not have paired better with the lightness of the Pumpkin Bisque that melted on our palate.


Salmon Rilletes

Fresh salmon rillets on a bed of organic spinach, chanterelle mushrooms and a roasted red pepper vinaigrette

Nordic Frost , cold pressed dry Riesling 2008



The concept of Lindsey Stanley's genius as a winemaker shines with this lovely Riesling. The grapes are hand-picked and then chilled to 2 degrees centigrade prior to basket pressing to preserve the well known fresh citrus characters of the varietal. The paring with Salmon was right on and one of the best of the night.


Pappardelle Calabrese

Pappardelle pasta , house made chicken sausage , porcini muchrooms and arugula

Black Sheep , Shriaz Blend 2004



The Black Sheep Shriaz is an unusual blend of 42% Shiraz, 38% Malbec and 20% Merlot. The blend percentages vary from year to year. Our first red wine of the evening with its blackberry, raspberry and cherry flavors brought out the richness of the Pappardelle and the earth tones of the mushrooms for a very nice pairing.


16 oz. Ribeye Steak

Brown sugar grilled 16oz Ribeye steak , fingerling potatoes , green beans and micro carrots

Silent Partner , Cabernet Sauvignon 2005


This was a meat lovers dream dish with of course a big Barossa Cabernet . This is Cabernet Sauvignon is the premium wine from Stanley Lambert. Aged in American Oak for 18 months its intense fruit flavors burst though to a fine elegant soft finish.

Sweet berry tart shell

Sweet tart shell paired with a sweet pastry cream topped with fresh raspberries and blueberries

Choc-a-bloc , Port South Australia

When it came time for desert what else could be paired than Stanley Lambert' s number one selling wine in the USA , the Choc-a-Bloc. This is luscious dessert wine like non other. Made using a fortified Australian Tawny wine base and seeping it with chocolate ,this port is addicting to say the least. Choc-a-Bloc , raspberries and blueberries. Was there any other way we could have concluded this great dinner ? We think not .

The Staff of Mezzo did an amazing job putting on this dinner. The food pairings by Chef Alfredo were spot on and showed off his culinary expertise. For more information on Mezzo and Stanley Lambert wines please go to www. StanleyLambert.com and www.Mezzobistro.com

Emeril Lagasse opens Legasse's Stadium at the Palazzo with an invite only star studded event

Chef Emeril Lagasse just keeps going and going. He held " The Ultimate Tailgate Party" for a star studded invite only event at his latest project Lagassee's Stadium in the Palazzo Resort in Las Vegas .





Lagasse’s Stadium combines Emeril Lagasse's signature dishes with over 100 HD TVs including a 9ft x 16ft main TV, luxury boxes, plush stadium-style seating, billiard tables, and outdoor patio over looking the Las Vegas Strip.

In addition to watching your favorite team on the large screens , sports betting stations, black jack and craps tables, as well as video poker machines, billiard tables and video arcade games will keep you entertained even if your team is loosing.

“As a long-time season ticket holder, on big game days you’ll find me tailgating with friends and supporting my favorite teams,” says Emeril Lagasse. “I’m happy to team up again with our friends at The Palazzo to create the ultimate sports establishment. At Stadium, we’ll be serving serious food for serious fans.”

Lagasee's dishes are a combination of traditional stadium-style food and the Southern dishes he is known for. The menu is varied and features popular and upscale items offering guests the option to choose their meal according to taste and budget.

“If you want to take a break from this and have a little white tablecloth experience, you can go in the dugout and have anything from a great barbequed salmon to a great steak and great wine,” he said.

We walked past the bar and into the themed VIP viewing rooms with a feeling of awe. This is not your normal "sports book" This is a sports venue its its own right.





























Emeril is known to be very flamboyant and needs no introduction. Many consider him to be America's most recognized Chef. With his own cheerleaders and of course a New Orleans band. Emeril really knows how to make an entrance and he made a big one at the Grand Opening of Lagasse's Stadium.

With help from Celebrity sports fans and athletes such as , Jeremy Piven, Kevin Dillon, Rex Lee, Melissa Rycroft and fiancé Tye Strickland, Bruce Jenner, Laker’s player Derek Fisher, female race car driver Danica Patrick, Olympic swimmer Dara Torres, Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner, Lakers coach Brian Shaw, football star Warren Sapp, retired basketball player Gary Payton, baseball player Greg Maddux, Howard Stern’s wife and model Beth Ostrosky, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’s Carson Kressley, actor Dan Cortese, actor Chazz Palminteri , Chef Emeril let the stars shine at his newest creation.

Lagasse's Stadium offers something for everyone from simple food to white table cloth service. It is truly a new way to dine at what used to be called " a sports book " . Emeril , as usual has changed the way we look at dining as we enjoy sports and gaming.

Join Vino Las Vegas as we visit the "Ultimate Tailgate Party " and help launch a new sports venue with the stars .