Issa and his wife Nura own and operate Khoury’s Fine Wine & Spirits.  Khoury’s has two locations for your shopping convenience; one store at 9915 S. Eastern Avenue, Henderson (702)435-9463 and the newest store at 7150 S. Durango, Las Vegas (702)453-9463.  

 

    While Khoury’s has a wide selection of all alcoholic beverages, the stores definitely emphasize the sale of wine, with more than 80 percent of the shelving dedicated to stocking a wide assortment of wines from all the major wine growing areas of the world.  They provide a varied array of wine choices from all the best known California regions, such as the Napa and Sonoma valleys, and central coast wines.  Khoury’s features many French, Italian and Australian offerings as well.  

 

    Typically, Khoury’s will carry wines from all price ranges from each different region.  For example, I recently purchased a bourgeois Bordeaux wine from the 2005 vintage for only $20.00.  However, for that big splurge, they also offer the  2003 Lafite Rothschild (a first growth Bordeaux wine rated at 100 points by wine critic Robert Parker) for $499.00.   The same good price range selection also rings true with their wines from other regions.

 

    Issa says that as far as domestic wines, he enjoys carrying some of the smaller boutique vintners’ wines.  For example, Khoury’s sells the 2005 Robert Biale Black Chicken zinfandel,  a vertical of the Seavy Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2004 DuMol Syrah, the wines of Robert Kenan, and Switchback Ridge merlot and cabernet.  All these wines can sometimes prove difficult to find, and very few (any???) wine merchants in the area stock all these fine wines.

 

    Issa seems well connected to the web of wine distributors, because his stores always seem to carry some bottles one does not usually see in the average wine shop.  Not just the boutique wines enumerated above, but some of the more famous big-name wines. For instance, the store on Eastern recently had the 2004 Colgin cabernet, 2002 Ridge Monte Bello, the 2001 Clarendon Hills Australis, the 2001 Penfolds Grnage, and the 2003 Chateau Margaux, to name just a few of his most impressive wines.

    Both stores have wine stored in easy to read row bins in the middle of the store, and attractively shelved in wooden racks along the walls.  Both stores feature a large cooled walk-in  locker containing the more expensive wines.   These lockers provide a good opportunity for a customer to ad a bottle or two of rare wine to any collection.  Any visitor should look in the locker while shopping at Khoury’s, if just see how nicely displayed wine can help the look of any room…

 

    Khoury’s also features a free wine tasting event every week.  Typically, the Las Vegas store holds its weekly event every Wednesday between 6:00-8:00 p.m.  The Henderson store stages its tastings on Thursdays between 6:00-8:00 p.m.  The tasting has become quite a social gathering at the Henderson store.  I imagine that the same will ring true for the Las Vegas store once more people discover the store and what it has to offer.  The tastings provide a good opportunity to taste new wines, socialize with others and gain some wine knowledge, all at the same time.  The local wine distributor or the actual winemaker always attends these affairs to answer any questions about any wine available for tasting that evening.   Khoury’s usually discounts the prices of any wines tasted at these events.  

 

 

    Khoury’s prides itself on its knowledgeable and helpful stall.   That staff includes, but is certainly not limited to, John and Brian at the Las Vegas store, and Kenny, Cynthia and Agi who work at the Henderson location.  Agi has qualified as a sommelier and also partakes in a wine consulting business.   All the employees can assist you in choosing the appropriate wine for any occasion.

 

    All things considered, Khoury’s provides a wide selection of wines at fair prices, along with a competent staff and two beautiful stores, making it a great place to shop for all your wine needs, be it the weekend barbecue or the serious collector’s cellar….