What goes best with wine on a mid-summer evening in Point Loma?
If “an outdoor movie” was your answer, you’ve be thinking along the same lines as The Wine Pub owner Sandy Hanshaw, who’s presenting her first-ever, sit-in cinema Saturday, July 18 from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the restaurant-bar at 2907 Shelter Island Drive.
Only Hanshaw is doing movie night at her establishment with a “gourmet” twist. The evening will feature a custom menu of gourmet movie munchies including parmesan and garlic kale chips, salted caramel and crispy prosciutto kettle corn, sage and gorgonzola gougeres and crispy stuffed zucchini blossoms.
The film to be seen is also something apropos: “Bottle Shock,” the classic wine “dramedy.” The American comedy-drama is based on the 1976 wine competition termed the “Judgment of Paris,” when California wine defeated French wine in a blind taste test.
The film stars Alan Rickman, Chris Pine and Bill Pullman and is directed by Randall Miller, who wrote the screenplay along with Jody Savin and Ross Schwartz. It premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
“This is something different, a movie on the patio, that we’ve always wanted to do, that we’re actually going to do,” said Hanshaw, who noted wine, film and the outdoors makes for a great mix. “It will be just a great ambience, and we’re serving great food and wonderful wine. We’ve already given it a test drive and we’re good to go.”
Hanshaw said her outdoor patio seats about 40. She feared creating an outdoor cinema with her patio space “might be hard to pull off,” but was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be “actually quite easy to do.”
“We’ve put all the pieces together and come up with something that, hopefully, will be a big success,” Hanshaw said noting cinema night, at least at this stage, is something of a test pilot.
“We decided to do a movie with a wine theme, but if we continue to do this, we may venture out into other (film genre) areas,” she said. “But for now a wine-themed movie works well for us.”
Noting her Wine Pub is “all about community,” Hanshaw added that a movie night is just one more occasion where the “community can come together and enjoy a good time, maybe make it a date night or just a fun Saturday night out on the town.”
The Pub encourages movie-goers to bring their own chairs, blankets and pillows to enhance the ambiance, making the event less like a restaurant and more like a night at home — but with table service.
The Wine Pub brings neighbors and friends together for a simply elegant dining experience in a cozy environment. With an extraordinary selection of handpicked wine, craft beer and gourmet menu, The Wine Pub has quickly become a local home away from home for all those who love living in Point Loma. Movie night
The Wine Pub movie night tickets cost $20, which goes toward a food and beverage purchase for the evening. Visit www.thewinepubsd.com for more about The Wine Pub and upcoming events.