The occasion was a special charity screening of Bottle Shock — the movie about (well, very loosely) the famous 1976 tasting in Paris at which Californian wines, both red and white, outscored some of the biggest names in the French oenological firmament.
Tuesday's event was organized by Hotei WInes, importers of a great range of premium labels from (mostly) California — including a couple of those that featured in that very tasting.
The venue was Billboard Live in the Midtown complex, which boasts a fantastic view across to Akasaka (though the curtains were closed while the film was playing). Which meant we could sip and quaff — those self-same wines, including the excellent Chateau Montelena chardonnay — and nibble and kick back while watching the movie on the screen over the stage.
The screening was compered by Hotei's president, Bill Campbell, who actually grew up in the California wine country where the movie was shot.
(sorry about the photo quality, Bill)
Bottom line: the movie is not a classic, but it's a whole lot of fun. And so was our evening! All in a good cause too. Thanks Bill.
Here's the movie website... And here's the trailer...
And here's a link to the Hotei site where you can see more (and better quality than mine) photos of the event.
