What It's Really Like Being A Wine Angel in Vegas
Don't become a meme, don't become a meme, don't become a meme. Those were the only words racing through my head as I pressed "up" on the remote control that'd lift my body harness off the ground. With my skintight silver bodysuit, you might think I'm auditioning for the next Austin Powers movie. Or Mission Impossible 7. Or backup dancer No. 21 in a Spice Girls reunion tour.
No, I'm becoming an honorary Wine Angel for the day - one of Aureole's flying servers, who fetch vino from the restaurant's four-story tower. Housed in The Wynn off the Las Vegas strip, the restaurant's made a name for itself with its wine collection, which houses up to 10,000 bottles. But equally - if not more famous - are the angels. The position's just about as coveted as getting invited to join the Victoria's Secret Runway Show, only you get to wear more clothing - and women and men assume the role. It's been seven years since Aureole had a new angel earn its wings, and the latest inductee, Hannah McBride, is here to soothe my fears.
Thank God for that, because as I strap into the harness, feeling the thin metal cables that are supposed to pull me into the air, Peter Pan-style, all I can picture is myself dangling 30 feet in the air, instantly becoming shared around the web as some riff on the "Hang In There" cat.
"You'll do fine," McBride reassures me. "It's not as tricky as you might think."
She hands me a remote, which makes me the captain of my fate. Press one button to go up, one button to go down. The four-sided tower is organized like the Dewey Decimal system in the library, with a number assigned to each side of the tower, the level, and the row. McBride jots the numbers for a bottle on a slip of paper, walking me through how to find it.
Once ready, I eagerly press the button, expecting to jolt upward like I'm Buzz Lightyear. It slowly lurches forward, tugging me from my hips. My torso flails forward, like I'm getting a massive wedgie. I'm doing great. I ease up on the button, slowly - and now, smoothly - ascending up the wall. I've never felt more Tom Cruise in my life - which is fitting, considering the tower and its wine angels were inspired by Cruise's cable-drop scene from the original Mission Impossible.
The system is surprisingly easy to navigate, though on a busy night, I could easily see myself getting overwhelmed as I zip from section to section.
This gig isn't all function, though - half the fun is entertaining guests, so stop by just to see the angels in action. McBride doesn't mess around, either. She's trained in aerial acrobatics, easily doing backbends, splits, and the kind of midair twirls that make her look like she a member of Cirque du Soleil.
I, on the other hand, have the flexibility of a cardboard cutout, so I rely on my natural charm and sweet, sweet dance skills (read: aggressive hamming it up and John Travolta-inspired disco moves). The audience seemed more amused than horrified, so I'll chalk it up to a win.
After my mini-shift was over, McBride treated me to a glass of the restaurant's signature cuvée. It was crisp and dry, with just a hint of fruitiness - and tasted ten times more rewarding, since I'd flown to grab it myself. By the end of my drink - and no, this isn't the booze talking - I didn't want to take off the jumpsuit. This may be as close as I'll get to Marvel superhero status, and I wasn't about to let it go easily. Even if my legs were killing me from being tugged around on the harness.
With any luck, maybe I'll earn a sequel.
Follow Delish on Instagram.
Download the Delish app.
You Might Also Like
