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Ringggg!! Ringggg!! Yawn!! -- It's 4 a.m. in the morning and time to get up and get ready to go to the airport. Wow, let's see -- 45 minutes to get ready and load the car; 45 minutes to get to Security Parking at the airport; Allow 30 more minutes to be delivered to curbside baggage (or the self-help ticket kiosk); then allow at least an hour from this point to get through security, grab a taco, and get to the waiting area. Lets see, 45, 45, 30, and 60 equals three hours -- yep, just right for a 7 a.m. flight. Well, that's the way it is now-a-days. It takes you longer to get up and find your seat on the plane than it does to fly from one coast to the other.

That's the way it was on the morning of May 22. Vivian and I needed to be in Las Vegas early afternoon for special check-in and registration for this year's National Mondiale event. This year's meeting was held at the Red Rock Casino, Las Vegas Nevada. A great place to go see all our Chaine friends from around the U.S, to support the Chaine/Mondiale organization, and to take a little vacation with the person we call sweetheart. This is an annual event that we really enjoy attending. We have attended this event for the past four years. 2007 was Monterey, 2006 was Sonoma, and 2005 was Seattle.

The Red Rock Casino, resort, and spa was built in 2006. It consists of 20 floors and sits on 70 acres of land. It was the first casino in Las Vegas that was built off of the strip that cost in excess of "One Billion Dollars!" In addition to about 10 acres of gaming machines, the hotel houses 10 restaurants, 192 bowling lanes, and a 16-screen cinema complex which includes an I-Max.

This is a zoomed up shot of the Las Vegas Strip out of our hotel window. These shots are taken though glass - you may see some reflection.

. . . .

This is what it really looks like to the naked eye with no zoom! This shot was taken the next day when there was a rain cloud over the city.

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The below photos were taken from the Red Rock Casino web site. Click to enlarge.

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Pool and pool side. This is a total of three acres+

This room is very similar to the room that Vivian and I had. That's the "Strip" out the window.

This room is an upgrade. I didn't ask them how much the rent was on it.

The lobby. The gang spent some time on that little couch on the left.

Part of the casino. I say part, because there are over 3,000 slot machines in this place.

This photo shows part of the 192 Bowling lanes

Whoops, where did this shot come from. I thought I had this one hid!

Ok, enough of that stuff. Let's take a look at the first event on the first night:

This was a B.Y.O.B. dinner. It's not too easy to bring your own bottle from a 1,000 miles away but Bill Salomon had it all figured out. All of us took our wines to his house the day before the plane left and he put them in a special carrier box. This was a little extra trouble for Bill but the rest of us appreciated it.

The first dinner was Wine Country Casual with ribbons. Well, I should say one flyer said with ribbons and the other flyer said without ribbons. We're were pretty screwed on on this first night. Here are a few shots from that event:


Our Bailli Bill Salomon and his lovely partner Vice Chargée de Presse Honoraire Judy Salomon .	Philip & Valerie D'Addona from Santa Barbara	Our Bailli Honoraire Joel Klein and his lovely partner Vice Chargée de Missions Honoraire Carol	Martin Perham Officier & Micaela Choo from Salt lake. Martin honored me with one of my first pins back in 2005 for helping him out in Seattle	Vivian and Lucille Boston from Palm Springs/ Honolulu - a recent survivor of five years of identity theft

Bailli Provincial Honoraire Kal & Officier Judy Cseuz from Santa Clara Valley. Wake up Kal !!	Our own San Antonio Joe and Carolyn Hoelscher	Echanson Provincial Antonio Busalacchi & Maria Busalacchi, from Baltimore	Our fearless leader Grand Echanson des Etats-Unis Dan Gulbronsen from Sonoma	Dan's wife "Jet." Also from Sonoma

Chargeé de Presse Provincial (Mondial writer for Gastronome magazine) Lois & Stanley Gogol from Hillsborough	Echanson Provincial & Mondiale editor Bill Wortman, & partner from Charlotte	Bailli Roland & Delores Messori, from Montecito. Cruised both oceans and around South America with these guys	Bailli Jim Maloney & Gloria Montgomery from Denver	Bailli Mark & VC Gastronomique Mirella Monoscalco from Kauai/Oahu

This write up will not cover in detail the dinner menu. Highlights only will be listed.

The first dinner, the BYOB dinner consisted of a five course meal. The main courses consisted of Seared Snapper, Pan Seared Duck, and Braised Beef Short ribs. It started with Goat Cheese, Blue Cheese, and Blood Orange Vinaigrette. It ended with Assorted Artisan Cheeses.

After it was over, Joe Hoelscher said this was one of the best meals he has ever had... I think he said that. I can't remember for sure, but I do know he said "It was one of the ..... I'll have to check with him again on this. Anyway on with the second day . . .

Day Two - Induction Awards

Day two started off with a luncheon at T-Bones Restaurant. The Klein's and the Salomon's participated in this event and gave it a tremendous review. Actually, everyone we talked to that day was saying how good the lunch was. The Hoelscher's and the Ray's decided to go to the "all you can eat breakfast/lunch buffet." A great place to eat. Joe made the mistake of standing in line waiting for omelet's and before he could get back to the table I had already started on my six plate. Everything was delicious at the cost of $8.95.

That evening we had the Mondiale Induction Dinner. Here are a few shots from that dinner:


The place is getting ready for the crowd. Here is a shot of both sides. That's Joe looking out the window.	Here we have the young sommeliers and Chaine members about to be inducted into the Mondiale... Wait! who is that on the far end of the line ??	No one thought to bring the "vine stock" so the induction ceremony will be performed with a table decoration flower.	I could not get a shot of the Carolyn's actual anointment but I did get a shot of the "Hug." Carolyn would not let loose of that wine glass.

Here are the new "Societe Mondiale du Vin" members. As you can tell, there is more than one camera in the crowd -- Congratulations Carolyn	This is the photo that was previously on the "Recent Events" page. What Carolyn is holding is her Mondiale certificate	I'm not going to post all photos of this dinner. However, now that Kal is awake, we have to include this one.	Vivian, Harold Small, Susan Small & Lucille Boston. We met Harold at the Argyle during the National meeting in San Antonio. Harold will be appointed to National Treasurer at the Boston meeting.

	Vice Chargée de Presse Nationale (Editor in Chief Gastronome) Sandi Miller from Charlotte, soon to be appointed to the Chaine #2 spot; and Mark Monoscalco .	Here we have a group shot of all the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Star awardees. We have .. Jim, Bill, Kal, Mirella, ?, ?, Dan, ?, Lois, ?, Mark, & Tony
Day Three -- Gala Sommelier Competition Awards Day Let's move straight to the evening . . . Prior to the dinner we all gathered in Joel and Carol's suite for a little happy hour before going down to dinner.

The Lady in the middle is Alice Parmet, Houston

The fellow taking this picture is Michael Parmet, Argentier Des Etats-Unis (Chaine National Treasurer) Houston

Here we have Bill working the floor

Reception Area: Tony Busalacchi from Baltimore; Michael Parmet Houston

The young Sommelier's who competed against each other. Aurthur Black second from right.

Here we see, for the first time, Jack and Stephanie Harkness (from Santa Clara Valley)

Vivian, Lucille, and Judy (we've see these three gorgeous ladies before

Tony and Sandi

Joe and Carolyn. The other couple, I don't know.

The best looking four-some I've seen all afternoon!

Joe got hungry so he called over the chime lady so he could call everyone to dinner (and he did)

Well, we certainly have a lot of glasses to fill for this dinner.

Whoops, look out. Here we have Bill working the floor

11 contenders for the Top 2008 National Young Sommelier - who will the winner be ??

Arthur Black, left, is the winner of the 2008 Société Mondiale du Vin National Young Sommelier Competition

This photo was taken in March at the Houston Regional. Arthur placed 2nd at that time

This photo was taken by yours truly at last year's Young Sommelier Finals in Monterey. Arthur placed 3rd at this event. All names in "red" completed in both Monterey and Las Vegas

1st Place-Chris Miller // 2nd Place-Fernando Beteta // 3rd Place-Arthur Black

Left to Right: (1) Adam Curling, Mid-Atlantic; (2) Chris Miller, Pacific Northwest; (3) Scott Cameron, Southwest; (4) Arthur Black Midwest; (5) Julia Schiavone, South Central; (6,seated) Yannick Benjamin, Northeast; (7) Amanda Marshall; (8) Fernando Beteta, Midwest; (9) Jason Heller, Hawaii/Pacific Islands; (10) Jesse Becker; Far West; (11) Drew Hendricks**

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Just a couple of shots left and this story is History!

	*Well, the party is over. All good things must come to an end. It's time to say good bye.* *---------------------->>*
In this last photo someone yelled " all the ladies that have traveled the world with Dan Gulbronsen get up and get you picture taken with him.		We rode the little red bus from the airport to the hotel. Now it is time to catch the little red bus back to the airport to go home. And with that departure, that is the end of the story.