Beijing Boyce

The wall awaits...

-

UPDATE: Please note there are TWO prizes. One for people who want to be a DJ and one for people who want to win the four bottles of gin and vodka.

Ever dream of being a DJ… and playing Duran Duran… on the Great Wall… while sipping Tasmanian vodka?

Then this contest is for you.

I am teaming up with TUN, Acupuncture Records, and Strait to give one reader the chance to spin 80 minutes of 80s music while his or her friends enjoy a “party zone” stocked with booze.

Intimidated by DJ equipment? Not sure how all that mixing and stuff is done?

No problem: Ahead of your November 22 set, Acupuncture will give you a DJ crash course and prepare you for your big night atop the “Great Wall” booth at TUN.

Want your friends to see your show?

No problem: TUN will provide a lounge area for 12 people, and Strait will stock it with four bottles – vodka, dry gin, pepperberry vodka, and a Strait Twenty blended gin.

To enter the draw, leave a comment and list three eighties songs you like and why.

If being a DJ is not your thing, you can still enter the draw for the second prize – four bottles of Strait Twenty blended gins and vodka. Simply add “Strait Up” – yeah, that’s a Paula Abdul reference – at the bottom of your comment.

The nitty-gritty:

• The deadline for entries is Friday, November 7, 5:30 PM. I’ll find a respected member of the community to pull one name and will announce the winner on Monday, November 10.
• The winner needs to be available to DJ on November 22, from 11PM and for a DJ lesson that same week, and willing to create a set of danceable music: no eighty-minute mixes of Mr. Roboto, please.
• We bear no responsibility for participants who list Martika’s “Toy Soldiers“, Starship’s “We Built This City“, or Laura Branigan’s “Gloria” and spontaneously combust (this assumes God answers my prayer).

Halloween is this Friday and the scariest thing might be the number of parties being advertised. Well, that and the “Show Me Your Pumpkin” promotion by 25 Degrees (Thankfully, the Oktoberfest slogan wasn’t “Show Me Your Sausage”).

Here’s the deal: The person who shows up with the biggest pumpkin gets dinner for two and an overnight stay at G Hotel. (Is that the yonder revving of tractors in Hebei province I hear?) There will also be “scary shots” at RMB100 per half-dozen and “6 mini Devil’s Burgers” at RMB66.

Anyway, I previously posted about some parties, including those by Acupuncture Records (“Spooked”), I-Ultra Lounge (“The Cellar of the Devil”), I-Space (“Death Prom”), Star Live (“Yen Fetish”), China Doll in 3.3 (“Myth of Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea”), Club China Doll (“Glow in the Dark party”) and, the obligatory anti-Halloween Party, La Baie des Anges (“Hallowine”).

An update on China Doll at 3.3: The invite states that ten people will “win a role in a feature film ‘Sophie’s Revenge’, staring major international film star Zhang Ziyi in November.” It’s RMB50 to get into that one and gets you a “witches brew” cocktail. Also:

Bling: A whopping RMB5000 cash prize for the best costume.

Kokomo: A Halloween Caribbean carnival a.k.a. “The scary sexy version of Halloween!”

Obiwan: Beijing Calling, “surprise tricks and treats for everyone”, and a screening of 1978 classic Halloween at 8 PM.

The Pomegranate: A party with, apparently, a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The Rickshaw: A free pitcher of “The Zombie” for anyone presenting a ticket from one of the other parties (Yen Fetish, etc).

The Boat, Cargo, Mix, Klubb Rouge, Song, Loong – it seems like almost everyone is getting into the spirit. See the events pages at City Weekend and The Beijinger (it would be helpful if both added a function to search by specific day).

How to choose? Frankly, your best bet might be to hit Bling, win the RMB5,000, use the money to buy a Xiali-sized pumpkin, take it to 25 Degrees and win that contest, and then hit China Doll and end up in a movie. Or, you could just stay home and scare yourself senseless by reading about the world economy.

-

See also:
Peking party puzzle: HalloWine, HalloQueens, or HalloWheeze?
Monkey business: The Fuwa Chainsaw Massacre, and other Halloween parties

I tagged along to a Watson’s wine lunch in Aria yesterday that featured three bottles from Clairault, in the Margaret River area of southwestern Australia, and three dishes by the winery’s chef Tim Taylor.

I found the Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2007 fresh and delicious, with tropical fruits, citrus, grass, and a slight creaminess – one person said “ice cream” – on the nose. I tasted fleshy grapefruit along with a citric zing and smooth minerality. A nicely balance wine that paired well with the cured salmon, even with the horseradish, and retails at RMB162.

For its part, the Cabernet Merlot 2004 came out swinging for the same price: big and intense berries with a violet bite and – as it opened up – black pepper. This one offers personality – you might love it or hate. The last wine, Clairault Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, also offers ample fruit, but is a bit more restrained, more than twice the price, and seems like a wine that will be even better in a few years.

These wines are available at Aria or from Watson (contact Lily Li at lilyli@asw.com.hk). If you want to try Taylor’s food, he is at Aria all week, with the highlight a five-course wine dinner on October 30 at 7 PM (RMB1088; contact Danny Kane at danny.kane@shangri-la.com).

A quick look at some of this week’s upcoming wine tastings. For the long-term view, including a slew of Beaujolais Nouveau parties by French Wine Paradox, check this events page.

-

Thursday, October 30, 7-8.30 PM, Bento & Berries Shop (Kerry Centre Hotel), free
Sparkling wine, Champagne & Beaujolais tasting, by Top Cellar; RSVP at www.topcellar.com.cn, marketing@topcellar.com.cn, or 13691-079-531.

-

Thursday, October 30, 6:30 PM, Legendale, RMB688+15%
Trimbach wine dinner, with wine winery owner Hubert Trimbach; by ASC Fine Wines; RSVP with Helen Lu at eventsbj@asc-wines.com / 6587-3803.

-

Thursday, October 30, 7 PM, Aria (China World Hotel), RMB1088
Five-course wine dinner with chef Tim Taylor of Margaret River’s Clairault Winery, by Watson’s Wines; RSVP with Danny Kane at 6505-2266, x36 or danny.kane@shangri-la.com.

-

Thursday, October 30, 7 PM, French Cultural Institute, RMB80
Tour of Eight French Wine Regions, with English-Mandarin seminar and tasting of 8 wines from Bordeaux, Beaujolias, Burgundy and elsewhere; by Wine Store; RSVP with Alexandre Cros at 13439-484-079 / alexandre@bylweb.com.

-

Saturday, November 1, 5-6 PM, Pinotage, RMB60
Weekly tasting; by WineLink; RSVP with Chris at 13611-207-396 or chrisb@winelink.com.cn.

-

Note: See the long-term schedule. If you intend to attend any of the above events, it is best to confirm the details with the venue ahead of time. To get an event listed, send the details to beijingboyce@yahoo.com.