Rio Casino in Las Vegas Has New Wine Director

James Molesworth, Dana Nigro
Posted: July 21, 2000

Barrie Larvin, who has been director of wine at Las Vegas' Rio hotel and casino for the past four years, has left the property and is now working on several of his own projects. The Rio is the home of Jean-Louis Palladin's Napa Restaurant and the Fiore Rotisserie & Grill, both of which hold Wine Spectators Best of Award of Excellence for their wine lists.

"I left because I needed to move on," said Larvin. "I think I created quite a project at the Rio. I'm glad I was able to start that one off, but I'm happy to be going on to other things."

Claudia Tyagi, who was originally hired by Larvin and has worked at the Rio for the last two years, has taken over his position. Tyagi, who hails from Michigan, is a holder of the prestigious Master Sommelier certification. She said she looks to continue the aggressive wine buying that brought considerable notice to Larvin's tenure at the Rio, though she intends to change tack somewhat.

Larvins attention-getting purchases at prominent auctions helped build the Rio's wine cellar to its current total of more than 130,000 bottles. The list concentrates on French and California wines, with extraordinary depth in vintages of classic bottlings, such as a vertical of Chbteau dYquem from 1855 to the present. Larvin also built an impressive collection of California cult wines such as Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon.

"I will still be keeping an eye on the cult wines, for sure, but I'd like to balance our profile and provide a broader range of regions and styles," said Tyagi. "We want to keep going with the example of excellence that has been set here and expand on it."

Meanwhile, Larvin is working on several new projects, ranging from auctions to wine marketing to education. But perhaps the biggest project is his plan for his own wine label, Barrie Larvin Selections. "Since I've really been buying big for the Rio, I've always wanted to have one of my own products on the market," he said. His first bottling, from Australia, is expected to be in U.S. retail stores by the end this year. Larvin said he wants to concentrate on affordable wines and hopes to build his label to 1 million bottles.

Read more about the wine list at the Rio and at Napa Restaurant: