Felines in Wine

Two very cool cats host the hottest wine events in town

By Jen Smith

Chloe Mansoor and Ryli Lay are the cat’s meow for ultra-exclusive wine events around Las Vegas. By day, Mansoor works in freelance interior design and Lay works at Papi Steak in Fontainebleau. By night, under the moniker Wine Cats, a name inspired by their pets, the duo helm fabulous bacchanalia.

During Wine Cats dinners, the pair act as knowledgeable guides through hand-selected vintages for curious crowds. Lay is a Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) level 2 certified sommelier and holds her International Sommelier Guild (ISG) level 3 certification. Mansoor has her Wine and Spirit Education Trust WSET levels I and II certifications.

Mansoor’s once-in-a-lifetime experience with the prestigious FICOFI wine club in Paris inspired Wine Cats dinners. The event took place in a residence with picturesque tables and traditional wines and she instantly wanted more.

“Why don’t we have anything like this in Vegas?” Mansoor wondered at the time. “I got back home and was looking online for wine dinners, just to be part of another event like that, and then I couldn’t find anything. That’s where the idea came from.”

A typical Wine Cats dinner accommodates 20 to 30 people, usually on a night when the host restaurant is dark. Based on the venue, Mansoor and Lay choose bespoke wines, working with distributors and winemakers to capture the restaurant’s essence. Past nights have included an Orin Swift presentation of Dave Phinney’s wines and a gathering at Barry’s Prime in the private dining room. The chef prepares dishes that pair well with the vino but sometimes the wines are chosen to match the food.

“We typically like the chef to create some unique dishes that aren’t on [their] menu because we [want] the experience to be very one-of-a-kind,” Lay says.

Above all else, Wine Cats events are coveted social settings that follow an “if you know, you know” attendance model. Lay and Mansoor hope to elevate Wine Cats dinners to bigger venues with more attendees—all while wearing signature cat ears.

“We always wear ears at our dinners,” says Mansoor. “We make the wine distributor wear ears, too.”

Follow @winecatsmeow on Instagram for information and bookings. winecatsmeow.com