Food

Mayor Goodman honors UNLVino founders Jerry Vallen, Larry Ruvo

Flossie Vallen, center, greets Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, left, Thursday, April 10, 2014 at City Hall before a proclamation to declare this week UNLVino Week. At right is Vallen's husband, Jerry Vallen. (Samantha Clemens/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, left, reads a proclamation declaring this week UNLVino Week to, second from left, co-founder of UNLVino Jerry Vallen, his wife Flossie Vallen and Senior Managing Director of Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada and co-founder of UNLVino Larry Ruvo, Thursday, April 10, 2014 at her downtown office. UNLVino Week, a scholarship fundraising event for UNLV's William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. (Samantha Clemens/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Flossie Vallen and her husband, Jerry Vallen, wait to attend a proclamation for UNLVino Week at City Hall Thursday, April 10, 2014. Jerry Vallen co-founded the scholarship fundraiser 40 years ago. (Samantha Clemens/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Jerry Vallen, co-founder of UNLVino, left, his wife Flossie Vallen, and Dean of William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, Stowe Shoemaker, look over a proclamation for UNLVino Week Thursday, April 10, 2014 at the mayor's downtown office. UNLVino Week, a scholarship fundraising event for UNLV's William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. (Samantha Clemens/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, left, meets with from second from left, co-founder of UNLVino Jerry Vallen and his wife Flossie Vallen, Senior Managing Director of Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada and co-founder of UNLVino Larry Ruvo, UNLV Dean of William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration Stowe Shoemaker and General Marketing Events Director at Southern Wine & Spirits Michael Severino, during a proclamation for UNLVino Week Thursday, April 10, 2014 at her downtown office. UNLVino Week, a scholarship fundraising event for UNLV's William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. (Samantha Clemens/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

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By KRISTY TOTTEN LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

April 10, 2014 - 8:49 pm

Mayor Carolyn Goodman declared April 9-12 “UNLVino Week” on Thursday, in honor of the food and drink festival, which turns 40 this year.

UNLVino founders Jerry Vallen and Larry Ruvo were honored. Vallen is the dean emeritus of UNLV’s hotel college. Ruvo is the senior managing director of Southern Wine & Spirits.

The annual festival supports UNLV hotel college scholarships, and has raised millions since its began as a single wine-tasting event in 1974.

UNLVino began Wednesday and continues through Sunday, with mixology-centric BAR-b-q Thursday at Caesars Palace, champagne-themed Bubble-Licious Friday at The Venetian, and the Founder’s Grand Tasting Saturday at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

Contact reporter Kristy Totten at ktotten@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3809. Find her on Twitter: @kristy_tea.