Pisco Producers & Distillers Light Up the Screen as They Tell the Story of Pisco, Peru’s National Spirit Resurgence at Legendary Uptown Theater in Napa Valley
Los Angeles, California (November 18, 2016) – Peru proudly sponsored the Closing Night World Premiere of Pisco Punch: A Cocktail Comeback Story on Sunday, November 13th at the Napa Valley Film Festival. Writer and Director Alan Kropf, Matthew Noel and Director of the Trade Commission of Peru in Los Angeles, Ricardo Romero were joined on the red carpet with Pisco ambassadors including Diego Loret de Mola, Johnny Schuler, Melanie Asher, Jorge Picasso and José Antonio Schiaffino who travled to the United States to celebrate the movie premiere. This was the first year Peru participated at Napa Valley Film Festival and throughout the festival celebrated the vibrant culture, spirit and gastronomic tourism of Peru at various events and parties.
Pisco Punch tells the story of one of the world’s great rediscovered spirits, Pisco through the eyes of artisan pisco producers including Diego Loret de Mola of Barsol Pisco, credited with bringing the spirit to the attention of a wider international audience. A fitting venue for the movie, Napa Valley is not far from the birth place of the Pisco Punch created by Duncan Nicol in San Francisco in the 1800’s. Modern day Pisco producers including Macchu Pisco and Porton have elevated the spirits category of Pisco which was considered one of the most celebrated spirit in the western United States in the late 19th century. In Pisco Punch, leading bartenders and spirits writers including Tony Abou Ganim, Dale DeGroff, Jim Meehan and Simon Gifford unravel the provenance and mystery of the Pisco Punch and divulge one of the greatest cocktail stories to be told on film for the first time. Written, directed and produced by spirits luminary, Alan Kropf and Matthew Noel, the movie traced the journey of Pisco from Spain in the 1600’s, its popularity as one of the leading spirits in San Francisco in the 1800’s, the political turmoil which affected the Pisco crop in the dark days of the military coup in Peru and the modern day resurgence of the spirit as the ultimate symbol of Peru.
Pisco is a grape distilled spirit exclusively made in Peru maintaining the Pisco making tradition of first producers which dates back to the 16th century. Pisco must be made in one of five coastal valley regions of Peru, including Ica, Lima, Arequipa, Moquegua and Tacna and from eight different grape varieties including Quebranta, Negra Criolla, Uvina, Mollar, Moscatel, Torontel, Italia and Albilla.
As the agency chosen to represent Peruvian exports to the United States, Director of the Trade Commission of Peru in Los Angeles, Ricardo Romero commented on the festival, “Napa Valley Film Festival is the perfect vehicle for us to showcase the best of what Peru has to offer the world in terms of culture, tourism, gastronomy and of course, Pisco. As one of our most important and iconic exports, the movie Pisco Punch is a impactful and fitting homage to the artisan Pisco producers who have worked tirelessly to promote Pisco all over the world.”
Ricardo Romero also chose the premiere to announce Peru’s initiative to promote the country as a film making destination for the movie industry. Speaking of the advantages Peru has to offer such as the Andes, the Amazon, Cusco and the cosmopolitan city of Lima, the strategy will reinforce Peru’s international image as an favorable place to do business and ability to support international film studios and companies.
Notable celebrities who attended NVFF over the weekend included Jessica Biel, Matthew McConaughey, Dev Patel, Viggo Mortenson, Aaron Eckhart, Gordon Getty, Meredith Hagner, Katie Holmes, Sam Huntington, Sam Jaeger, Alex Karpovsky, Rose Leslie, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Joel David Moore, Matt Ross and Wyatt Russell.
At the Closing Night party will took place at the Napa Riverfront, Pisco producers set up multiple Pisco bars in order to showcase the subject of the film, Pisco Punch for over 300 guests. Barsol, Macchu Pisco, Campo De Encanto and Porton mixologists also tasted guests through select varietals of the spirit throughout the evening. La Mar restaurant in San Francisco served anticuchos and crab causa dishes and seabass ceviche was on hand to wash the Pisco down.
About PromPeru: The Peruvian Commission for the Promotion of Exports and Tourism (PROMPERU) is the official entity specialized in tourism promotion and marketing attached to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Peru. PROMPERU establishes long-term relationship with tourism trade and media in all countries where promotional activities are carried out. For further information, visit http://www.peru.travel or follow PROMPERU via the following social media channels:
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/visitperu
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/visitperu
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/VisitPeru
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/peru/
About the Trade Commission of Peru: The Trade Commission of Peru in Los Angeles promotes investment, tourism, and the expansion of Peru’s exportable offer in the Western United States. It is a division of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism and part of a network of offices in the U.S. (New York, Miami, and Washington D.C.) and worldwide.
For more information visit: http://www.peru.travel/en-us/
About The Napa Valley Film Festival
The ultimate celebration of film, food and wine, NVFF lights up wine country at the most colorful time of year, November 9-13. NVFF presents over 120 new independent films and studio sneak previews in 13 beautiful venues throughout the picturesque towns of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga. Attendees interact with over 300 filmmakers at screenings, and enjoy industry panels, wine tastings, culinary demos, winemaker dinners, Celebrity Tributes, the Awards Ceremony and Festival, Opening and Closing Night parties and more.
