UNLVino turns 50 with a night of food, drinks and student-driven impact

Thu, Apr 24, 2025 (2 a.m.)

There’s a certain magic that happens when you gather in a room full of people around food, drinks and purpose. UNLVino, celebrating its 50th year, has bottled that magic and is pouring it back into the next generation. 

Over the years, UNLVino has raised millions of dollars in scholarship funds for students at the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. Every ticket purchased and auction item sold at the upcoming May 2 event at Thomas & Mack Center directly supports education. 

For many students, those scholarships have meant access, opportunity and the ability to chase a dream without being held back by cost. The payoff? For some, it’s that scholarship. For others, it’s the first real step toward a career in hospitality.

“One of the reasons that it has been such a huge success, which a lot of people don’t know about, is that there’s a whole class behind UNLVino,” says Shaina Graham, director of events for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. “We are putting students to work and giving them that hands-on experience that they might not get otherwise.”

With 28 student managers helping to coordinate and lead the event, eight culinary students handling the food sections and more than 100 campus volunteers, UNLVino functions as a live lab. From logistics to marketing to execution, the event is student-powered from start to finish. “It’s a homegrown event for Las Vegas,” Graham adds.

“We tell the students when we’re in there talking about the class … ‘best representation always,’ because you never know who you’re going to meet that’s going to take you to your next career,” says Graham.

UNLVino’s demographic reflects the industry’s evolving palate—a mix of 30- to 50-year-old hospitality pros and young professionals who not only appreciate what’s in their glass and on their plate, but also the people who served it.

Attendees can look forward to 80 beverage booths, pouring everything from bold reds and crisp whites to sake, beer, spirits and even non-alcoholic options, offering something for every kind of connoisseur. Culinary partners will provide bites as thoughtfully curated as the drinks with local favorites including Slater’s 50/50, On Demand Sushi and Heavenly Pies & Trattoria. 

It’s been five decades since local philanthropist and Southern Glazer’s founder Larry Ruvo and former UNLV College of Hospitality Dean Jerry Vallen created UNLVino in a warehouse. This year, the event will honor longtime hospitality legends Don Ross of Caesars Entertainment and Michael Severino—two individuals who’ve helped shape both the event and the city’s hospitality culture. 

UNLVino continues to toast to a greater cause, one that starts with a pour and ends with a future realized.

UNLVINO 50TH ANNIVERSARY GRAND TASTING May 2, 6 p.m., $100+. Thomas & Mack Center, unlvino.com.

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