Guests sample truffle butter tortellini.

Under the cool gaze of star New York Restaurants like Pastis and Spice Market, well-heeled revelers gathered in the Meatpacking District last night to sip glass upon glass of wine as they shopped at some of the city’s priciest boutiques. Luxury abounded, from the inexplicable whimsically costumed models and streamer-wavers crowding the area around 14^th Street and 9^th Avenue to the truffle-butter tortellini being sampled outside of Massimo Bizzocchi.

Although most of the crowd wandering between stores like Diane von Furstenberg and Catherine Malandrino were dressed to the nines (admittedly, I felt even a little too casual in my short cotton dress and kitten heels), there were a few standouts. “Who’s Stella McCartney?” a woman gawped, before being informed by a friend that she was Paul McCartney’s daughter. That knowledge gap didn’t stop her from wandering into the boutique and seeking out a glass or two of sparkling white wine.

Moschino keeps the champagne flowing.

With around 40 participating shops sampling 2 varieties of wine apiece, the event saw its share of flushed countenances and tottering steps. The diversity of wine, which hailed from international vineyards and comprised myriad grape varietals, was impressive. Still, I noticed a distinct white-wine bias at many of the more female-oriented boutiques, like the lingerie purveyor La Perla. It was a shame that so many women only stuck to their Chardonnays and Pinot Grigios – some of the most exciting bottles were rich, spicy reds (Theory, which sampled a Portuguese Dão Tinto and an Argentine Malbec, was a personal favorite).

Aside from the pasta, there was an disproportionate lack of hors d’oeuvres and other samples. One store bridged the gap by stationing a man from Wine Cellar Sorbet out on the sidewalk – in flavors like Cabernet Sauvignon, Bellini, and Sangria Rojo, the edible wine treats were a sweet cap to a hedonistic evening.