After leaving the Far Niente tasting, Chef Kenny, Mr. Vino and I could still feel the lingering effects of the Far Niente 2003 cabernet sauvignon on our palates. I thought the wine had an exceptional mouth feel, but Chef Kenny preferred the Far Niente 1999 cabernet. Mr. Vino said he thought both vintages were OK, but he liked the 1998 – it tasted to him like dried fruit.

Chef Kenny had his white whale of a limousine waiting for us, complete with a chilled bottle of Pommery Cuvee Louise 1995. I was in bubble heaven after the first sip. The champagne was complex, with a lingering finish. It was so good I was close to tears, and no one could wipe the smile off of Mr. Vino’s face. Much to our relief, Chef Kenny informed us that he had another bottle.

As the limo dodged other cars on its way to Chez Suave, I couldn’t help but notice the permanent grin on Chef Kenny’s face. Something was up, and you didn’t need to be Sherlock Holmes or Sam Spade to figure that out. But all he would tell us was that we were going to like the dinner he had planned for us.

As we arrived at the restaurant, I was impressed by its beautiful Victorian façade, which was painted in vanilla ice cream and pink rose colors. Chef Kenny’s shapely fiancée, Kandi Cain, met us at the door and directed us upstairs, where we were seated in a private dining room.

When we got to the top of the stairs, the lights were out. It was totally silent. All of the sudden, the lights flipped on and a crowd of beautiful people yelled, “Surprise!” A large banner reading “Happy birthday, Mr. Vino” hung from the ceiling.

Mr. Vino was, indeed, very surprised – he jumped back a foot. Then he began to tear up. “My friends, my friends,” he repeated over and over as he dabbed at his eyes with his handkerchief.

The room was a who’s who of the wine, food, entertainment and sports worlds. Over in one corner was wine critic Jancis Robinson, who was enjoying a Coors Light with Robert M. Parker Jr. Emeril and Kobe Bryant were chatting with supermodels Talley Ho and Mary Melons. Robin Williams was imitating a champagne bottle popping to legendary Italian winemaker Angelo Gaja. There were too many celebrities present to name them all here.

As we sat down to dinner, I sat between Mary Melons and Sean Connery, very close to the birthday boy.

The first course was quiche au crabe al’orientale, a curried crab quiche, which was served with 2004 Blanc de Lynch-Bages. It was a great pairing. I watched my canine friend Mr. Peabody lick his glass after tasting the delicate white Bordeaux blend of sauvignon blanc, semillon and a tiny bit of muscadet. The wine is allowed to macerate (fermenting juice and grape skin contact) with its skins up to 15 hours, which helps release the aromatics of the wine. It tasted great, with warm citrus flavors and delicate minerality.

Brad Pitt was asking Mr. Vino his age, and Mr. Vino responded, “How old do you think I am?”

“About 60,” Brad said.

“You’re off by about 100 years,” Mr. Vino answered. “I’m 160.”

Everyone laughed, but I wondered.

The next course was steak au poivre, a pepper-coated steak with cognac and cream, one of my favorite dishes. It was served to us with 1990 Chateau Ausone, 1st Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru. The wine is an equal blend of merlot and cabernet franc. Truly a great wine, the winery is named after the fourth-century Latin poet Ausonius. (The poet’s home was not far from the chateau.) The wine had a nose of burnt toast and Italian roasted coffee. The mid palate had a currant and mulberry taste, with a hint of golden raisin and leather/black currant finish. It was pure decadence.

Dessert came next, and by that time Mr. Peabody was running underneath the table, wagging his tail and behaving rather doglike. I had to stick my head underneath the table and ask him to behave.

Poire au porto, pears with port wine, was served for dessert. It was divine. With the dessert came more champagne, this time 1995 Pol Roger, Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill, named after the winery’s most famous customer. The wine was packed with the tastes of hazelnut, citrus and vanilla pie crust. It was big and thick as a sheet of lead, and the finish lingered for minutes.

In the morning, I woke up alone and had great memories of a wonderful night.