Grill 58 Sommelier Night

(Last updated: October 4, 2023)

Full credit to anyone who can correctly pronounce “sommelier” on the first go. I walked into Grill 58 at 6:30 pm and couldn’t get it out, and hadn’t even had anything to drink yet! Standing there stumbling to compose a word in my first language, no doubt sounding like a total fool, the pretty Filipino waitress must have wondered what planet I just fell out of. Take my advice and practice saying it before you approach the restaurant. Talk the talk, and walk the walk. Look like you belong!

A fantastic idea that more bars in town should try, Sommelier Night started at Grill 58 before Covid, survived it, and is still going strong now.  Located on the 2nd floor of MGM Cotai, it takes place every Friday evening from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm, for $238 per person. The evening I was there, another four tables were partaking in it, which is totally decent business for that time of night in Cotai.

There is always a special theme that shapes the tasting, which typically incorporates 8 representative wines from a certain country or region. Sometimes they only focus on a particular type, so you might get an evening filled with just Cab Sauvs or Pinots, which are sourced from all over the world.  For an idea of what they do, look no further than their September schedule, which consisted of  “Discover Catalonia”, “Battle of the Sauvignons’, “Loire Gems”, and “Bordeaux Journey”.

While eight glasses may sound like a lot, they’re nowhere near to being full, and I’d estimate that by the time you finish, it might equate to one full bottle of wine. For $238 that’s a totally decent price to pay, especially when you get the introduction from the sommelier as well as the free snack platter consisting of chips, hummus and assorted nuts.

If you feel like having a little more to eat, bruschetta, wagyu beef sliders, and croquettes are other nibbles available for $40 each.

While you can show up anytime between 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm, they stop serving at 8:30 so it’s best to arrive before 7:00. For me, 2 hours was just the right amount of time to not feel rushed and enjoy the entire experience naturally, without feeling any pressure to pound unnecessarily.

Partaking in the Piedmont Festival that took place in July 2023, I thought the evening went as well as it possibly could. Of the 8 glasses, 3 were pretty bad, but 5 were extremely enjoyable. If you ever come across a bottle of Valmaggoire Nebboila d’Alba ($575), Ca di Pian Barbera d’Asti Superiore ($400), Verduno Pelaverga (NA), or Bordini Bararesco ($400), snap them up immediately, as they are four very fine Piedmont reds. The whites were far inferior, with the only decent one on offer the Roero Arnies DOCG for $400.

Given that people all have different tastes, each Sommelier night does figure to be a bit of a mixed bag, but enjoying 5 out of the 8 selections is a number I’d take every time.

A quick shout out to the sommelier, who was still in training but knew her business well and did a fine job explaining the different wines and wineries.  Thank you for being such a gracious host and hope to see you again!