Pioneer Offers Taste of Luxe Loft Life

Six plasma televisions, a concert-quality sound system, a meticulously landscaped terrace, and a prime city view. For a Manhattanite on a young journalist’s salary, an apartment with such luxe appointments might seem like an impossible dream—unless you made it onto the list for Pioneer Electronics’ wine-tasting event for press, held at a rented private apartment in Chelsea, decked out with all the brand’s latest technologies, and dubbed the Pioneer PureVision Loft.
With the goal of marrying the brand to a high-end lifestyle, Pioneer home entertainment marketing director Gary Bauhard invited a small group of food, wine, fashion, technology, and lifestyle journalists for an evening of wine tasting led by Detroit News senior culture writer and wine critic Lawrence Johnson. Between gulps of fine wine, guests could check out the Pioneer products throughout the home, including a DJ demo of a new DVD and music-mixing line.

Premier Party Servers catered hors d’oeuvres like triple-baked brie with sun-dried tomatoes, fruit, and chicken and shrimp skewers on an embroidered organza-clothed table—but after the bountiful champagne and wine, it was hardly enough to keep guests from departing in their cars from Corporate Car Sedan more than a little tipsy.

—Alesandra Dubin