Is it still considered gambling when everyone wins? Find out at Le Grand Casino du Vin at The Cellar
“Remember this. The house doesn’t beat the player. It just gives him the opportunity to beat himself,” says professional gambler and high roller Nikolaos Dandolos otherwise known as Nick the Greek. If the house always wins, why roll the dice?
The answer is simple. It’s because no one likes to lose. Hooked with the idea and the buzz of winning, a person would keep on betting against all odds. In a perfect world, there are no losers. If you learned about a no-risk, all-rewards game where everyone goes home happy, would you play?
Le Grand Casino du Vin, which translates to The Grand Wine Casino, is a social affair that emulates the pleasures derived from gambling, incorporating vino in each game, minus the crippling mental and emotional damage of losing.
Grand Hyatt Manila recently introduced Le Grand Casino du Vin at The Cellar, an all-fun, no-fuss dining experience that includes a four-course curated set menu with a glass of red and white wine, as well as a dozen poker chips, which act as currency for three gaming areas set up to test the knowledge of diners on fermented grapes.
“People are starting to engage each other beyond social media. We thought, ‘what would be a fun moment with drinks that have not been explored before?’ This format has never been done,” enthuses Grand Hyatt Manila general manager Gottfried Bogensperger.
The unique concept available only in the five-star luxury hotel in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, and nowhere else, not even in the 61 hotels of Hyatt, has participants interacting with each other over good drinks and food while enjoying the thrill of wholesome gambling.
Gottfried explains the drive and purpose of the event. “We at the hospitality industry are here not just to serve you. We are here to create memories and experiences. It had to be done. We like to do business in terms of fun,” the executive says.
The game themes and rules are simple. The first table is “The Type of Wine,” where a mystery wine is poured into a black, opaque wine glass, after which a player has to guess the kind of wine served by taste and smell. Bet as many chips as you want on whether the alcohol is a rosé, white, or red. The dealer would transfer the wine into a clear glass to reveal the answer and, if you get it right, you win the same amount as your bet.
‘We at the hospitality industry are here not just to serve you. We like to do business in terms of fun.’
Next is “Aromas of Wine.” The host presents vials of different scents from floral to fruity from which participants are to match the aroma found in the wine given to them. Over 50 options are on the board, making this one of the harder games.
Third is “The Wine of Regions.” Your familiarity with the flavors and origins of wine is tested. Gamers will have to determine where the wine comes from by carefully observing, smelling, and tasting. Players will place their bets on where they think the intoxicant comes from, either from the old world France, Spain, and Italy to new world Australia, New Zealand, and the US, among others.
Stacking up on chips has its merits as an auction is held toward the end of the night where diners could take home prizes like a ticket to the next Le Grand Casino du Vin at The Cellar or an overnight stay at the hotel. Auctioned prizes, however, will vary and change per dinner.
“We tested it out internally first, as a farewell party. Certainly, it broke social barriers,” says Gottfried, adding that it was later tested on a private event and people would not want to go home that evening.
Executive chef Mark Hagan prepared a four-course meal for the launch at The Cellar. The menu was composed of a Double-Baked Meredith Goat Cheese Soufflé as an appetizer, the Pumpkin and Ricotta Tortellini with crispy pork belly, a choice between white and red meat, the Pan-Seared Sea Bass or the Grilled Beef Tenderloin as the main, and a Frozen Lemon Parfait for dessert. The set menu for the Le Grand Casino du Vin will be determined in the future.
Reservation is recommended. Prices go for ₱3,000 net per person. Le Grand Casino du Vin at The Cellar will be available every first and third Wednesday of the month from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., beginning Feb. 1. Reserve your slots at 8838-1234 or send an email to [email protected].