Special New Year's Eve Menu at Sips!

(Click on menu to enlarge!)

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St., Victoria
When: Thursday, Dec. 31st
Reservations: (250) 590-3519

Poplar Grove Tasting Friday Dec. 11 at Sips!

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St., Victoria
When: Friday, Dec. 11th; 4:30 - 6:00pm
RSVP: sips@spiritmerchants.ca; wineswines@shaw.ca; larry@spiritmerchants.ca; (250) 590-3515

Kettle Valley Tasting at Sips Dec. 7th!

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St., Victoria
When: Monday, Dec. 7th; 2:30 - 4:00pm
RSVP: sips@spiritmerchants.ca; wineswines@shaw.ca; larry@spiritmerchants.ca; (250) 590-3515

Quails Gate tasting Dec. 3rd at Sips!

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St., Victoria
When: Thursday, Dec. 3rd; 4:30 - 6:00pm
RSVP: sips@spiritmerchants.ca; wineswines@shaw.ca; larry@spiritmerchants.ca; (250) 590-3515

Penfolds tasting at Sips November 24th!

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St., Victoria
When: Tuesday, Nov. 24th; 4:30 - 6:00pm
RSVP: sips@spiritmerchants.ca; wineswines@shaw.ca; larry@spiritmerchants.ca; (250) 590-3515

Therapy Tasting at Sips!

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St., Victoria
When: Wednesday, Nov. 4th; 4:00 - 5:30pm
RSVP: sips@spiritmerchants.ca; wineswines@shaw.ca; larry@spiritmerchants.ca; (250) 590-3515

Hillside Estates Tasting at Sips!

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St., Victoria
When: Thursday, Oct. 22nd; 4:00 - 5:30pm
RSVP: sips@spiritmerchants.ca; wineswines@shaw.ca; larry@spiritmerchants.ca; (250) 590-3515

Back by popular demand -- Johannes Selbach!

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St., Victoria
When: Friday, Sept. 11th; 4:00 - 6:00pm
RSVP: sips@spiritmerchants.ca; wineswines@shaw.ca; larry@spiritmerchants.ca; (250) 590-3515

24 Hour Relay Benifit Winetasting at Sips!

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St., Victoria
When: Monday, June 1st 6:30pm
RSVP: sips@spiritmerchants.ca; wineswines@shaw.ca; larry@spiritmerchants.ca; (250) 590-3515

Bird in Hand's Justin Nugent at Sips May 4th!

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St., Victoria
When: Monday, May 4th 5:30 - 7:00pm
RSVP: sips@spiritmerchants.ca; wineswines@shaw.ca; larry@spiritmerchants.ca; (250) 590-3515

Masa Shiroki at Sips!

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St.
When: Sunday, April 26, 1:30 - 3:30 pm
Tickets: $25 - Advance tickets available at Sips or James Bay Spiritmerchants; email sips@spiritmerchants.ca; or call (250) 590-3515

Sea Cider Nectars Event at Sips!

Bruce and Kristen Jordan present three of their sweet, dessert-style ciders—and a cider cocktail to start—with paired gourmet offerings by Sips!

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St
When: Thursday, March 26, 5:30 - 7:00PM
Tickets: $25; advance tickets available at Sips and James Bay Spirit Merchants; email sips@spiritmerchants.ca; phone (250) 590-3515

"La Dolcetto Vita" at Sips!

Where: Sips Artisan Bistro, 425 Simcoe St.
When: Tuesday, March 24th, 6:30 - 8:00 pm

RSVP
sips@spiritmerchants.ca
wineswines@shaw.ca
larry@spiritmerchants.ca

Italo Fionda will present a selection of wines from the Franco Molino and Bergadano wineries in Piedmont! RSVP now---seating is limited!

St Patrick's Stout-and-Oyster Marathon at Sips!

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St
When: Tuesday, March 17, 6:30 - 8:00PM
Tickets: $25; advance tickets available at Sips and James Bay Spirit Merchants; email sips@spiritmerchants.ca; phone (250) 590-3515

Sunday March 8th - Rhone Gang tasting at Sips!

Where: Sips Artisan Bistro, 425 Simcoe St.
When: Sunday, March 8th, 3:00 - 4:30 pm

RSVP
sips@spiritmerchants.ca
wineswines@shaw.ca
larry@spiritmerchants.ca

The Rhone Gang — Louis Barruol, Frederic Chaudiere, Arnaud de la Chanonie and Rudolphe de Pins — will present a flight of their renowned blockbuster Rhones at Sips!

Friday, March 6th Sips tasting with Johannes Selbach!

SIPS
Presents
The wines of
Weingut Selbach-Oster

Friday, March 6th
1:30-3:00

Taste the wines of one of the greatest estates in German Winemaking with
Johannes Selbach!

RSVP
sips@spiritmerchants.ca
wineswines@shaw.ca
larry@spiritmerchants.ca

Postponed! Burrowing Owl— Land Conservancy fundraiser at Sips!

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St
When: April TBA
Tickets: $50; advance tickets available at Sips

Jim and Midge Wyse of Burrowing Owl Estate Winery will pour seven breathtaking new offerings, with matched gourmet tapas provided by Sips!

Proceeds to the BC Land Conservancy!

March 3rd 6:30 PM --- Driftwood Brewery’s Jason Meyer at Sips!

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St
When: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 6:30 - 8:00PM
Tickets: $20; advance tickets available at Sips and both Spinnakers Spirit Merchants locations

Jason will premier Driftwood’s new “Bart’s Belgian Brown” along with their full portfolio, with gourmet tapas by Sips!

Victoria’s Driftwood Brewing Company was founded in the spring of 2008 by Jason Meyer and Kevin Hearsum, and in less than a year it has developed into one of BC’s most exciting craft breweries. Spiritmerchants has carried the full line of Driftwood products from the day they opened their doors. Join us at Sips and help us remind ourselves why!

Wines Tasted at Mad About Malbecs Feb. 24

Thanks to all for making the Mad About Malbecs blind tasting such a success! Here's the key to the wines we tasted:

1. La Puerta Malbec 08 $13.50
2. Trivento Malbec Reserve 07 $13.00
3. Benjamin Nieto Senetiner Malbec 06 $14.00
4. Pascual Toso Malbec Reserve 07 $22.00
5. Santa Ana La Mascota Malbec 07 $23.00
6. Finca Flichman Oak-Aged Malbec 07 $10.00
7. Festivo Malbec 06 $20.25
8. Finca Los Primos Malbec 07 $10.00
9. Jean Bousquet Malbec Reserva 05 $22.40
10. Don Eugenio Malbec Reserva 05 $20.75
11. Croix du Mayne Cahors 07 (France) $19.50
12. Navarro Correas Malbec 07 $14.95
13. Catena Malbec 06 $25.90
14. Luigi Bosca Single Vinyard Malbec 05 $29.00
15. Altos Las Hormigas Malbec 07 $16.00
16. Vina Amalia Malbec 06 $22.00
17. Vina Chocalan Malbec Gran Reserva 06 (Chile) $27.00
18. Terrazas Malbec Reserva 06 $24.00
19. Nieto Senetiner Malbec Reserva 05 $16.00
20. Famiglia Bianchi Malbec 06 $19.50

Feb. 24th---Mad About Malbec!

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St
When: Tuesday, Feb. 24, 6:30 - 8:00PM
Tickets: $25; advance tickets available at Sips and both Spinnakers Spirit Merchants locations

We'll be blind-tasting 20 Malbecs, festival-style, at Sips this Tuesday! Nibbles by the artists in Sips kitchen; genius provided by you!

Feb. 17th - Love, Beer and Chocolate Night at Sips!

Where: Sips Artisan Bistro, 425 Simcoe St.
When: Tuesday, February 17th, 5:00 pm
Tickets: Advance tickets $20 at Spinnakers (250.384.2739) and James Bay Spiritmerchants (250.590.3515)

10 unique beers will be served, along with our famous chocolates, crafted by Spinnakers own Crystal Duck! Join us for a night of beer, chocolate and love!

Tinhorn Tuesday at Spiritmerchants James Bay!

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St
When: Tuesday, Feb. 10, 5:00 - 7:00PM
Tickets: $35; advance tickets available at Sips and both Spinnakers Spirit Merchants locations

Featured among an exhaustive flight of new Tinhorn Creek '06 and '07 releases will be their fabulous Oldfield Merlot '04; their 2-Bench White '06 and the '06 Kerner icewine. All wines will be matched with gourmet offerings from Sips' kitchen.

Tastings every day at James Bay!

....With food pairings provided by Sips!

From 4-6PM every day, Spinnakers Spirit Merchants at James Bay now pops a cork or two on something special, and pours 'till we can't pour no more! Canapes devised to complement whatever's going into the glasses on any given day will be prepared by the culinary superstars next door at Sips!

Looking for something to fill that looming gap between work and supper? Come by and sample something inspiring!

Malt Whiskey Workshops at Sips!

Where: Sips Tasting Bar, 425 Simcoe St.
When: Saturday, January 24th, 2:00PM
Tickets: Sold Out
Euan Mitchell, the Managing Director of Arran Distillers, will be sharing his wares in the first of this afternoon's malt double-header.


Where: Sips Tasting Bar, 425 Simcoe St.
When: Saturday, January 24th, 4:00PM
Tickets: Free Admission, but limited seating
Fred Laing, Director and Master Blender of Douglas Laing & Co. will be hosting a seminar where his Provenance line of custom malt whiskeys will figure, er, provenently. Seven whiskies in all will be featured, the eldest weighing in at 43 years. See you there!

Chaberton Estate Winetasting!

Where: Sips, 425 Simcoe St
When: Wednesday, Jan. 21, 6:00PM
Tickets: Admission is $25; advance tickets available at Sips and both Spinnakers Spirit Merchants locations

An exhaustive selection from the Chaberton portfolio, matched with their appropriate foods. Food will be by Sips; as always, wines will be available for sale next door at Spinnakers in James Bay.

Aurelio Montes comes to Sips!

Where: Sips Tasting Bar, 425 Simcoe St.
When: 5:00PM, Saturday January 10
Tickets: Free admission, but limited seating

Vina Montes founder and winemaker Aurelio Montes will introduce four of his wines to the multitudes at Sips this coming Saturday: His Classic Series Cabernet Sauvignon; the Limited Selection Cab-Carmenere; the Alpha Chardonnay; and the Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon. Food will be by Sips; as always, the wines will be available for sale next door at Spinnakers in James Bay. See you there!

This site is no longer under construction!

Here it is! A complete schedule for upcoming Victoria wine tastings at Spinnakers Spirit Merchants!