Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/326040
june 2014 / the tasting panel / 43 Ruvo smiles as he recalls the customer's response: "'Well, I purchased the wine, and then went across to the Vegas Village and went shopping," she said. "Then I went and had lunch and then went home. Later that night, I went out to the garage, opened the trunk and took the wine in, opened it up and that's what I got!" "Now," continues Ruvo, "this was July or August, and it was 112 degrees or more, and I said, 'So from the time you bought the wine, to the time you opened it at your house, how many hours was that?' She said seven-to-eight hours, and I said, 'Well, your trunk probably got to about 140 degrees—would you do this with ice cream?' She said no, and I asked her why. She said, 'Because I know what to do with ice cream. I obviously don't know how to take care of wine.'" This simple encounter got Ruvo thinking that what the industry really needed was a wine-educated consumer. "I went to Dr. Jerry Vallen of the UNLV Hotel School and said, 'We need a class, we need to start telling people about wine.' A year later, we had our first UNLVino, hosted in our ware- house," recalls Ruvo. From inauspicious roots to this year's expansive program featuring four days of events on everything from bubbly to barbeque, UNLVino has evolved to not only offer an educa- tional platform for consumers but also support the ongoing education of students at UNLV's William F. Harrah School of Hotel Administration. The school has received millions of dollars in scholarship aid every year for students in need. Ruvo continues, "The case of wine the woman purchased started UNLVino and has provided millions and millions of dollars for the Hotel College and scholarship aid for aca- demically talented and financially dependent students. We've put scores of young people through the program, thanks to funds raised at UNLVino." UNLVino also offers students a unique opportunity to get hands-on with event production, with 400-500 students managing every aspect of the event, from public relations to catering. "So much of this event is about co-mingling the students' education with a hands-on experience in event production, from making sure the glasses are polished, foods are proper and the right cheeses are cut. It's a lot of work, and students are assigned to duties outside of their concentration to really give them a breadth of experience they can't get anywhere else." As students served and smiled at guests during the Founder's Grand Tasting, Ruvo and, in absentia, Vallen were presented with the Dom Pérignon Award of Excellence, honor the contributions these two icons have done for the industry. Ruvo, who accepted on Vallen's behalf, humbly told THE TASTING PANEL, "This has never been self-serving. The important thing has always been to get people educated, because knowledge is power!" Whether teaching a single consumer you can't leave wine in your car for eight hours or helping a student achieve their academic goals, UNLVino's scope has been far-reaching: "Over and over, in all parts of the world, I've been checking into a hotel or visiting a restaurant and had someone come up to me and say, 'Mr. Ruvo, my name is so-and-so, and I went to UNLV.' That connection and that groundwork laid by UNLVino is absolutely priceless." by Rachel Burkons PHOTO: MATT CARTER PHOTO: MATT CARTER The entrance to the Founder's Tasting featured the likeness of Dr. Jerry Vallen (left) and Larry Ruvo. UNLV student chefs serve up fresh seafood at the Founder's Grand Tasting. TP0614_034-71.indd 43 5/23/14 9:22 PM