Pulp Fiction with Wine at The Mockingbird
- Tony Elvin
- 2 hours ago
- 7 min read
Thanks to everyone that joined us at the Hawthorne Grill (Mockingbird Cinema).
We've wanted to screen this one for years. We didn't know what wines to pair (we've done plenty with American wines) and wrestled with it for too long. In the end we just put it on sale and decided to work it out later.
Well, this has proven to be one of our fastest selling events of all time, so congratulations on managing to bag a ticket.
Read on for our Pulp Fiction Wines, trivia and photo gallery.
Gulp Friction - The Wines
How do you pair wine with Pulp Fiction? So many European references in this movie, Vincent's time in Amsterdam, the screenplay written there by Tarantino, the Royale with Cheese, Fabienne is French, and Marcellus has a French name. We've lent into European Wines, starting with ..
The Marcellus Wallace Collection
Sparkling French wine from Limoux, where the local monks taught Dom Perignon himself, how to make Champagne. 70% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin Blanc, 10% Pinot Noir - 100% delicious. Notes of citrus, apple, pear, biscuit and brioche.
The cortese grape produces a top, top wine. From Araldica's magnificent Gavi estate, La Battistina. This is a high quality, complex white widely regarded as a benchmark for this DOCG. Aromatic, zesty, sherbety nose with apple and pears, lime and passionfruit, and a hint of minerality. Juicy, weighty fruit with a zippy, citric acid mouthwatering feel creating a refreshing, satisfying finish.
Modern, yet traditional Rioja Blanco from one of the oldest producers in the region. Stunning value for money with layers of creamy lemony flavours. First planted at the beginning of the 20th century, the vineyard of Viña Pomal is now over 120 hectares, the oldest vines of which date back to 1971. It has aromas of pear, hints of fennel and a slight toastiness adding to the layers of creamy lemon flavours.
Burgundy is the legendary territory that has given birth to the name Bourgogne. A territory where wine is king. This garnet-purple coloured Beaujolais wine reveals aromas of raspberries, redcurrants and wild strawberries. Intense in the mouth with a beautiful finish of peonies and pepper.
Carignan can be a little rough and ready. It’s usually used to make simple table wine, but this is something quite different. Everything is focused on quality. It’s made using grapes from at least fifty-year-old vines – some are even a hundred years old. Such age means that the yield of grapes from each vine is tiny – and the flavours are really concentrated. Part of it is aged in oak to give it some good structure, but it’s still a really juicy, fresh wine. It’s packed with brambly fruit flavours. Blackberry. Cherry. A hint of vanilla and spice.
🔫 Pulp Fiction with Wine – Trivia from the Evening
Here are some of the fascinating stories and behind-the-scenes facts we shared during our Pulp Fiction with Wine event.
🎬 An independent film that changed Hollywood
Pulp Fiction was made for around $8 million, with almost $5 million of that spent on the cast. The film became an instant success, earning over $200 million worldwide and proving that independent films could compete with the biggest Hollywood blockbusters.
💼 Bruce Willis helped make the film profitable before release
Harvey Keitel persuaded his friend Bruce Willis to join the cast after Willis had enjoyed Reservoir Dogs. His involvement made such a difference that the worldwide distribution rights reportedly covered the film's budget before a single cinema ticket had been sold.
🔪 Vincent Vega almost looked very different
Quentin Tarantino originally wrote the role of Vincent Vega for Michael Madsen, who had played Mr Blonde (Vic Vega) in Reservoir Dogs. In Tarantino's universe, Vic and Vincent are brothers. Unfortunately, Madsen was committed to filming Wyatt Earp, and the studio wouldn't release him. Tarantino later planned a Vega brothers prequel, but by the time it could happen, both actors were considered too old to play younger versions of the characters.
📖 Jules' famous Bible speech isn't really from the Bible
Samuel L. Jackson's unforgettable Ezekiel 25:17 speech is only loosely based on scripture. Much of the "righteous man" passage was written by Quentin Tarantino, inspired in part by the Sonny Chiba martial arts film Bodyguard Kiba. The speech has become so famous that it's often mistaken for an actual Bible verse.
🎖️ Even politicians have quoted it!
The speech has become part of popular culture. More than thirty years later, public figures have accidentally quoted Tarantino's version rather than the real Bible, and Marvel even paid tribute by engraving part of the speech on Nick Fury's gravestone in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
💉 John Travolta went to unusual lengths to understand addiction
Having never used heroin, Travolta asked a recovering addict how he could understand Vincent Vega's state of mind. He was told the closest legal comparison was getting extremely drunk on tequila before lying in a hot bath. Travolta reportedly recreated the experiment (with wife Kelly Preston supervising!) to help capture Vincent's relaxed, detached manner.
💃 Uma Thurman almost turned down the film
Uma Thurman initially declined the role of Mia Wallace. Quentin Tarantino was so determined to cast her that he famously spent hours reading the entire screenplay to her over the telephone until she finally agreed.
🕺 One of cinema's greatest dance scenes almost didn't happen
Uma Thurman admitted she was nervous about dancing alongside John Travolta, whose dance credentials were already legendary. She even questioned Tarantino's choice of Chuck Berry's You Never Can Tell, but Quentin insisted it was perfect—and history proved him right.
🍔 Jack Rabbit Slim's was built from scratch
The iconic 1950s-themed restaurant didn't exist before filming. The elaborate set reportedly cost around $150,000 to build and became one of the movie's most memorable locations.
🦊 Fox Force Five lived on
Mia Wallace talks about a television pilot called Fox Force Five. Tarantino loved the name so much that he later reused it as inspiration for the deadly female assassin team in Kill Bill.
🥤 What's a Martin and Lewis milkshake?
When the waiter asks Mia whether she'd like her milkshake "Martin and Lewis or Amos and Andy", he's simply asking whether she wants vanilla or chocolate. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were a famous white comedy duo, while Amos and Andy were a famous black comedy pairing.
🎸 "An Elvis man should love this..."
Mia's line about Vincent being "an Elvis man" refers to a deleted scene in which she explains that everyone is either an Elvis person or a Beatles person. Vincent firmly identifies himself as Team Elvis.
🤫 Marsellus and Mia never speak
Despite being married, Marsellus and Mia Wallace never actually have a conversation with each other anywhere in the finished film.
⭐ A comeback for two Hollywood stars
The film is often credited with reviving John Travolta's career after several quieter years. Less often remembered is that Bruce Willis was also looking for a fresh hit outside the Die Hard series, making Pulp Fiction an important film for both actors.
📚 Tarantino had been planning the film for years
Two of the film's three main stories had already been written before Reservoir Dogs. After the success of that film, Tarantino returned to complete the third story. At one stage, he even considered having each chapter directed by a different filmmaker.
🥞 Was Fabienne pregnant?
Many fans believe Fabienne is pregnant. She talks about imagining herself with a pot belly, hints that she has something important to tell Butch, and the following morning craves an enormous breakfast. Tarantino never confirms it, but it's a popular fan theory.
🎭 Almost everyone auditioned for Mia Wallace
Uma Thurman wasn't the only actress considered. Jennifer Aniston, Michelle Pfeiffer, Meg Ryan, Daryl Hannah, Joan Cusack and Isabella Rossellini were all linked to the role during casting. Rosanna Arquette originally auditioned for Mia before being cast as Jody instead.
🎬 Other casting "what ifs"
The film could have looked very different. Tim Roth was considered for Vincent, Gary Oldman was discussed as Jules, Sean Penn and William Hurt were both linked with Vincent, while Sylvester Stallone's name was even mentioned for Butch.
🎥 And the alternatives didn't stop there...
Johnny Depp, Christian Slater and Nicolas Cage were all considered for Pumpkin, while Laurence Fishburne and Eddie Murphy were among the names linked to Jules. Al Pacino, Warren Beatty and Christopher Walken were all possibilities for Winston Wolfe before Harvey Keitel took the role.
⏸️ Christopher Walken's famous pause was genuine
During Captain Koons' unforgettable watch speech, Christopher Walken briefly pauses. According to the story, he momentarily forgot his next line—but Tarantino loved the authenticity and kept it in the finished film.
🏆 One of the greatest films ever made
The film consistently appears near the top of "greatest films" lists. Empire has ranked it among the ten greatest films ever made, while Entertainment Weekly placed it at number one in its "New Classics" list.
✍️ Written in Amsterdam
Much of Pulp Fiction was written while Quentin Tarantino was living in Amsterdam. He started with a single school notebook for ideas, eventually filling several as the screenplay took shape.
🧀 "Royale with Cheese" became iconic
Vincent's explanation of why a Quarter Pounder with Cheese is called a Royale with Cheese in France has become one of the most quoted conversations in cinema history, regularly appearing in lists of the greatest movie quotes.
🏢 You can't visit the diner anymore
The Hawthorne Grill, where both the opening and closing scenes were filmed, was demolished not long after production, making it another iconic movie location lost to history.
🏅 Pulp Fiction vs Forrest Gump
The awards season of 1995 was dominated by Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump. Before the Oscars, Steven Spielberg reportedly joked to Quentin Tarantino that the two films would spend the year battling each other for awards.
🎭 Spielberg called it perfectly
Spielberg predicted that Forrest Gump would win Best Picture and Best Director, while Pulp Fiction would take Best Original Screenplay. He got every prediction exactly right.
🎼 A soundtrack for the ages
Rather than using a traditional orchestral score, Tarantino filled the film with surf rock, soul and classic pop, creating one of the most recognisable soundtracks in movie history.
💼 The briefcase mystery lives on
More than thirty years later, Quentin Tarantino has never officially revealed what was inside Marsellus Wallace's glowing briefcase. Gold? Diamonds? Marsellus' soul? Or perhaps... something even more valuable!
Pulp Fiction Gallery
Thanks again to everyone that joined us tonight. And now you know what was in the briefcase!!
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