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About this Episode

Maria Valetta, wine educator, and certified sommelier, and Robert Tas head to Las Vegas where they review the wine list at Skybar in the Waldorf Astoria. High above the Las Vegas Strip, the 23rd-floor SkyBar is the place to enjoy a superb selection of wine while enjoying the unforgettable views.

Wines reviewed include:

Lucien Crochet Sancerre, a sauvignon blanc, France
Chalk Hill Chardonnay, Sonoma County
Orin Swift “Eight Years in the Desert” Zinfandel, Napa Valley

Transcript: Skybar

Skybar Las Vegas in the Waldorf Astoria

RT): Hi Everyone, welcome back to CorkRules! The wine podcast that’s here to help YOU navigate all your favorite restaurant wine lists.

I’m Robert Tas, along with Maria Valetta, wine educator, and certified sommelier, also known as Maria The Wine Blonde. Welcome back Maria

MV: Hello Robert! Today we are checking out a Las Vegas hot spot with an insane view of the strip

RT: Wine with a sky-high view. I love it., but before we get started, let’s talk about CorkRules. CorkRules was created to help you navigate the wine list so you will always love the wine you drink. With CorkRules in hand, you can confidently and easily make selections from the wine lists based on your wine preferences of flavor, style, region, and even price point. Plus, you can check out which wines your friends loved and try them yourself. So have a listen to our podcasts as our top Sommeliers help you find those hidden gems, value wines, and those special celebration-worthy bottles.

RT: Today we are talking about The SkyBar in The Waldorf Astoria Hotel and Residences in La Vegas.

Sitting High above the strip on the 23rd floor, it’s the ideal perch for taking in prime views of all the iconic hotels while noshing on electic bites and slices of fresh sashimi. The elegant décor and dimly lit lighting makes it a perfect date night spot for a pre-show dinner and a glass or bottle of wine.

Does this little hot spot have some wines worthy of checking out Maria?

MV: I love this sexy little place… If I lived in the Waldorf, I would be at SkyBar every night! Their wine list is a one-pager, focusing on sparkling which also happens to go well with sashimi. And luckily, they offer about 15 wines by the glass, more than some large restaurants offer so that’s a big plus!

RT: So sparkling to start?

MV: yes, I recommend the Collet Brut champagne, it’s got a nice toasty flavor and is offered by the glass and more reasonable than the Veuve and I like it just as much. A traditional blend of pinot Meunier pinot noir and Chardonnay grapes and quite about 35% of reserve wines make up this non-vintage champagne.

A nice value option for champagne by the bottle that they have is the Ayala champagne. that is always a great choice and I think because not many people know it it's not priced as high.

Both of these would be lovely with the salmon roll or the curated sashimi platter by sushi pro chef Katz. but also remember champagne is really fabulous with French fries and so one of the perfect pairings on this menu is going to be the duck fat French fries with a bottle of that Ayala champagne.

RT: yeah you know sometimes it's the simplest bites that go best while sipping something special.

MV: agree and so let's talk about the white wines they have by the glass and bottle here. They are a little bit limited but I would choose the Lucien Crochet Sancerre, a sauvignon blanc from the Loire valley in France, you really can't go wrong with sancerre it's such a bright and refreshing wine and I would like this with the charcuterie and cheese plate, the elote fritters or the blackened shrimp tacos.

RT: Any other whites you would order? They have to have a decent chardonnay even if the white wine selection is small right?

MV: yes of course I've never come across a wine list that doesn't have chardonnay by the glass its one of those classic varieties. So two of them here that are going to have a similar profile are the Chalk Hill Chardonnay from Sonoma County and the Sanford Estate Chardonnay from Santa Barbara but if you wanted that steely more minerality in your Chardonnay, one from a cooler climate that showcases more fruit and less of that buttery richness then go for the Patrick Piuze “Terrior de Chablis” from France that’s offered by the bottle. I feel like people often forget that Chablis is Chardonnay it's just the very northern part of burgundy and so as a result the flavor profiles is different and has all that lovely minerality that I particularly love.

RT: Some nice white choices actually, so let’s Switch to a red or two?

MV: yes you know the great thing about this wine list is everything is fairly reasonable, honestly, the most expensive bottle on the list is the Dom Perignon Champagne which is always a great bet if you're celebrating but as far as Reds go you have one of the Super reliable Reds that everyone likes the Justin Cabernet from Paso Robles in California. Bold and big that one is. Then a super value by the bottle would be the Bodega Norton Reserva Malbec with it’s pepperiness and dark black fruit character…and if you want something with that really nice luscious fruit-forward in your face fruit that jumps out of he glass and would go really well with the carnitas sopas or the sky bar sliders then definitely go for the Orin Swift “Eight Years in the Desert” Zinfandel from Napa Valley California.

Honestly, it's a short list here Robert so easy to navigate. What it comes down to, is taking some of the items from the menu and pairing them with one of these great wine selections and finding the top options that are the most enjoyable for your palate.

RT: that's great Maria sometimes it's refreshing to see a short wine list and not get so overwhelmed and I like that this is more like a tapas style menu so you can try a few things have your wine and then get off to one of the Cirque du Soleil shows!

MV: that's right sometimes if you're splurging on a show like that you just want to pre-theatre bite with a view to impress your date and Sky bar is THE place for that!

RT: well thank you Maria for finding us some fabulous gems on the wine list at Skybar. Thank you everyone for joining us today you can find more wine tips from Maria on Instagram @Mariathewineblonde. Remember the only rule in wine is “drink what you LOVE”.

MV: Have a favorite wine List? Let us review it here. Send us your requests at info@CorkRules.com You can find previous episodes on your favorite podcast platform and on

The CorkRules website. Be sure to follow @CorkRules on Instagram for episode and app updates. Prices and selections subject to change, please drink responsibly.