It's a story we've heard dozens of times before, in slightly varying versions. An acquaintance who does much corporate entertaining decided to treat a few office-mates to a late meal in Daikanyama. After an under-10,000 yen bottle of red, the sommelier suggested that they might like an unlisted Shafer Cabernet, which they enjoyed so much that they had a second. The pleasure quickly dissipated, however, when he received the bill and found that the Shafer had cost him 45,000 yen. Per bottle.

But this time, the story took an unexpected turn. Our now-poorer friend went on to relate how at a recent client dinner at Stellato, he asked the sommelier which of two whites would go best with their appetizers. Much to his surprise, the sommelier suggested a different wine altogether; not only was it cheaper, it was also a stunning match with their food.

By the end of the evening, they were specifying style and price, and the sommelier brought out mystery wines in decanters, revealing the bottles only after they'd finished drinking them. What had started out as a short, staid business dinner ended up as a long and raucous evening where everyone left extremely happy.