A gala party for 200 took place at the San Francisco home of Laura Catena last Sunday night.
The party featured free-flowing Catena wines, Argentine cuisine, live tango music and high-spirited dancing.
The event was presented by Laura Catena in honor of her father, renowned Argentinian vintner Nicholas Catena, who has just been awarded Decanter’s 2009 Man of the Year.
Catena’s house is within walking distance of the UCSF Medical Center, where she works as an emergency physician.
Guests were a mix of styles, ages and people – from wine industry professionals to musicians and family friends.
The dress code was equally eclectic, from lounge suits, to casual San Francisco style, to tight tango dresses – ‘The best Tango in San Francisco is at my house’, Catena said.
Proposing a toast ‘to family, and to Malbec’, the hostess said for her father to be Man of the Year was ‘quite an honor’.
‘Only three from The Americas have received this award: Robert Mondavi, Paul Draper and my father. I could never imagine 25 years ago that this would happen.’
Guests were served Catena Chardonnay, Catena Malbec and Nicolas Catena Zapata 2005 in magnum.
‘Today Nicholas Catena is considered not just the best wine in Argentina, but the best of the world,’ said Alfredo Bartholomaus, of Winebow Inc, the importer of Catena products in the US.
The party continued late into the evening.
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Written by Bob Ecker in San Francisco
