Art of cigar rolling explored during Big Smoke Weekend

Hazy smoke engulfed the conference room at The Mirage as hundreds of men (and a few women) prepared to create the objects they’d been enjoying all weekend: cigars. With bellies full from a traditional Polish breakfast created by Executive Chef Nicole Brisson of CarneVino, participants settled into their seats for a hands-on class in rolling a cigar.

The “Roll Your Own” seminar was one of many last weekend as part of the 21st annual Big Smoke Weekend, a three-day event dedicated to the finer points of Havanas, Panatelas and points in between.

Twenty-three-year-old Dominic Cipponeri, a recent graduate of UC Santa Cruz, was attending the event for the second time, having gained an appreciation of tobacco from his father. “I smoke them (cigars) with my dad and brother as sort of a bonding thing,” he said.

Cipponeri, who majored in film, has an Instagram account dedicated to sharing funny videos of himself reviewing cigars. At Big Smoke, Cipponeri particularly enjoyed a seminar on cigar industry regulation. “There was a lot of talk about Cuba and the (Food and Drug Administration),” he said. “Given the current political situation, I’m not really sure what’s in store for the future, cigar-wise.”

In October, President Obama lifted restrictions on the amount of Cuban cigars (and rum) that U.S. travelers abroad can bring home. Though these items still can’t be ordered online or resold in the U.S., travelers can purchase as much as they want, pack it in carry-on luggage and bring it home for personal use.

Big Smoke Weekend in Las Vegas has grown in popularity and attendance during the past two decades — attracting nearly 4,000 cigar lovers from around the world this year. The event is likely to keep growing, as the global market for cigars is expected to rise every year between now and 2020, according to a March report by Global Industry Analysts, a California marketing research company. That report noted that the U.S. is the largest market worldwide for cigar sales.

Leo Peraza, a native Cuban and master roller at General Cigar Co., based in Evansville, Indiana, led the cigar rolling demonstration. Nicknamed “The Pope,” he began his 60-plus years of service in the tobacco industry in Cuba before emigrating to Miami in the 1990s.

Rick Rodriguez, the master blender for General Cigar, narrated the demonstration and discussed the cigar-making process. “Sometimes it takes us 40 to 50 blends before we decide on one blend” of tobacco. According to Rodriguez, General Cigar rollers often produce 400 to 500 cigars each day.

Participants attempted to emulate Peraza as they competed for humidors and cigar boxes, which went to the top seven amateur cigar-rollers. This year’s winner was Lowell Gibson from Grant’s Pass, Oregon, who received a nine-drawer cabinet-style cigar humidor for his top-place finish. Judges based their decisions on the most professional-looking, tightest-rolled cigar.

Another attendee, 72-year-old Rich Arns of St. Louis, picked up cigar smoking from a neighbor 20 years after quitting cigarettes. “I was really afraid, because I thought I’d get hooked on cigarettes again. Not true. Because you don’t inhale,” Arns noted. As a first-year attendee, Arns had only positive things to report. “I’m afraid to say the weekend is almost over. We’ll be back next year.”

Big Smoke Weekend attendees received more than two dozen cigars from multiple producers to puff at the event, which included food and drinks and a luxury car show.

Part of the proceeds of Big Smoke, which is sponsored by Cigar Aficionado magazine, will benefit Prostate Cancer Research, an organization that is seeking a cure for the disease, which is the second most common cancer to strike men (after skin cancer).

Contact Brooke Wanser at bwanser@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Bwanser_LVRJ on Twitter.