My my my…it’s that twinkle twinkle little star time of year again when red-nosed reindeer and sybaratic suited sorts team up for a bit of intoxicating if not intellent conversation. About what you may ask, well how about some fermented fruit that can only be found at a grapestomping gathering place — in James Bay (Victoria’s oldest neighborhood)!

So, if you’re looking for some rather fine finger food and some fetching full-bodied wines to whet your whistle and your appetite, then mark these superb sipping occasions down on your holiday calendar — all courtesy of Sips Artisan Bistro, 425 Simcoe Street (in James Bay Square), telephone: 250.590.3519. 

Frankly, what’s not to like about lying back on a couch without a crazy counsellor in sight just sipping the subtle taste of a ripsnorting red or wacky white wine — made by the fruity folks from Therapy Vineyards in Naramata, British Columbia!

Yup, at Sips Artisan Bistro and Spinnakers Wine Merchants, you’ve got plenty to choose from:

Pink Freud (2008) — Freudian Sip (2008) — Freud’s Ego (2007) and SuperEgo (2007)

And, on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 from 2-4 pm…you won’t need an appointment to partake in this pleasant bit of free Therapy on the house. Guess what guys and gals, no one will mind if you dare to ask all the questions your little heart desires at this wonderful wine tasting event.

Oh and by the way, if you’re looking for someone to interpret your dreams…who knows, you might even find that special someone with white whiskers and a rustic red suit in the crowd! If not, keep your eyes peeled for those other merry males sipping merlot with members of James Bay’s one and only Wicked Wench Club (who are always seeking someone sexy to peel them a grape if you please!)

Image Credit: Illustration by Vimrod – vimrod.com

Instead of twiddling your thumbs, try tingling your tastebuds over at Sips Artisan Bistro in James Bay Square (425 Simcoe Street) this week!

Larry Arnold, Product Consultant for Spinnakers Wine, Beer & Spirits Merchants, will be hosting a special wine tasting on Thursday, October 22 from 4:00 to 5:30 pm featuring the reds and whites of the award-winning Hillside Estate Winery, (celebrating 25 years of passion for plump grapes in Penticton, British Columbia).

For the wine connoisseur on your birthday, Christmas, or wedding list who would be pleased with a few extra bottles to cellar, consider a consultation with discriminating wine buyer Larry Arnold. Whether he recommends small-lot BC rarities, classic vintages, organics and biodynamics or, for the trophy hunter, Chateau Cheval Blanc 2005 Bordeaux (at $1,400 a bottle, purportedly the greatest vintage produced in the last 50 years), he caters to big and small collectors.

To contact Larry: Tel: 250-590-3515, or Email – larry@spiritmerchants.ca