Tastings bigger in Reno, but our D'Vine has people

ìt seems like Carson's D'Vine is on the same tasting track as some of the big boys in Reno, like Reno's Grand Sierra Resort, formerly the Hilton. Friday night the resort invited some of the media to sample their new room, The Reserve (and Wine belongs in the title somehow, but no one was quite sure).

The Reserve is a large open area just off the casino play area. It's all neat tables with a center desk, where guests go to purchase a plastic ticket for whatever amount they wish to spend tasting wines.

And what they can buy are wine tastings from 80 electronically operated founts, each displaying the bottle it serves and the prices. Insert your card and select a wine, push one of the three buttons and out comes the wine. The price is listed above the buttons, and the buttons control size of the testing: One ounce, three ounces or five. The cost is deducted from the purchased card. Drink until you've drunk up your card. But use caution. Tastings cost from 50 cents to $15 per ounce.

Wine selection is by sommelier Alain Gregoire, pro when it comes to varieties. He says, "Wine is live and like a person, it changes with age and origins." Also available are a wide selection of cheeses (maybe even brie that hasn't been pasteurized into tastelessness as most brie in the USA is), deserts and snacks.

The Reserve is posh, but not as intimate as our own D'Vine, where human hands still do the pouring and the check. Besides, D'Vine is right here in town.

SHOWS ON TAP

Gwen Stefani appears Friday at the Reno Exposition Hall at 8 p.m. Presented by Circus Circus, Eldorado and Silver Legacy

Jay Leno furnishes the laughs Saturday at the Silver Legacy Grand Exposition Hall at 9 p.m.

Follies Bergere plays at MontBleu Casino in Stateline July 12-14 with admission $25. This is the French revue show that drew many thousands of Americans over the years in Paris. Back then it was topless; no word on this version so far.

The Mile High Jazz Band opens "Sunday Concerts in the Park" series July 8 at 5 p.m. at the Legislature Plaza. The 17-member Mile High Jazz Band will stick to its big-band format with a little modern mixed in. Admission is free, and you can take a picnic.

On July 7, the musical group Toccata will begin its second Mayormente Mozart Music Festival at the Valhalla Boathouse in South Lake Tahoe with a program of all American composers titled Red White and Toccata - Tahoe Blue. Admission for the series of concerts there is $30.

Bluegrass on the Comstock will be picked July 13-15 in Miner's Park in Virginia City, the right place for such sounds. Jamming starts Friday night at the festival grounds. Saturday morning, 10 bands will begin performing 45-minute sets over the course of the two-day event.

Tickets are $25 for a weekend pass or $15 for a single day at the gate. Call 348-4692.

FROM THE VAULTS

"Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" is a 2002 American film based on an "unauthorized autobiography" by Chuck Barris, the American creator and producer of television game shows, who claimed to have also worked as an assassin for the Central Intelligence Agency during the 1960s and the 1970s.

The film tells the life story of Barris, who was a game show host and, according to Barris's autobiography, a CIA hitman. Barris was largely responsible for the creation of several television game shows, including "The Dating Game," "The Gong Show" and "The Newlywed Game."

The film covers Barris's career as a television producer and star, along with his supposed "life" as an assassin who used his visits to Europe as a chaperone for "Dating Game" prize winners as a cover for his murderous deeds. While portraying Barris's alleged CIA exploits in an almost comic-book style, the film does not explicitly state his claims to be false. George Clooney directed (for the first time) and stars, along with Sam Rockswell as Barris. Also on hand are Drew Barrymore as Barris' loving girlfriend, and Julie Roberts in a minor role. This has become a cult film and has some fine moments, mostly when poking fun at American movies. Worth a look. Rated R, 113 minutes, released 2002.

• Contact Sam Bauman at 881-1236 or Sbauman@nevadaappeal.com.