Sip & Savour in March 2014 was an amazing sold-out success with over 200 guests! The evening started with the Sip wine reception. Everyone enjoyed superb wines, cider and distillates from across the Peninsula. 
Pairing added to the flavours with delicious chocolate from Pure Lovin’ Chocolate, cheese from The Little Cheese Shop and biscotti from Melinda’s Biscotti.
A cozy time with plenty of opportunity to sip and hear about the wonderful hot cheese hors d’oeurves from Snowden House, 
chat with friends over a taste of ginger-infused wine from Highland House, or simply savour Sea Cider’s Rumrunner. 
And in the background, the dulcet tones of Charlie Burton strumming away. Along with Muse Winery, Symphony Vineyards, Dragonfly Hill Vineyards, Domaine Rochette, Sea Cider Farms and Victoria Spirits, there were plenty of wonderful sips.
The evening continued with the opening of the Savour dinner … a sumptuous buffet of local food dishes. Everyone was invited to find a spot in the sun-ray design of long tables and encouraged to meet their neighbours. With the Craig Henderson Trio offering of sprite tunes, couples quickly took to the centre hub to dance. The bar featured many of the wines from the tasting for participants to continue with their favourites from the Sip reception.
Delectable platters of salmon & seafood, Vancouver Island Brewery Pale Ale braised beef, roasted herb chicken, sauteed spring vegetables, and spring mix greens tantalized everyone to seconds of the creative styles of Red Seal chef Graham Little of Island Culinary Services. The bounty from the local farms of Michell Bros, Kildara, Reimer and Saanich Organics were enjoyed. The idle chatter of many satiated new friends filled the air along with the musical background. The evening closed out with a simple berry shortcake accompanying Level Ground’s fair trade coffee and tea.
Guests left commenting on the remarkable evening of taste delights, satisfied appetites and smiles. Thank you! 
Save the date …. Sip & Savour 2015
Thursday, March 26th at the Mary Winspear Centre
What an evening, we had fun from the time we walked in the door until it was finished. The sipping portion of the evening took place in the lobby, and resulted in the only con of the evening, there were a lot of people lined up and it was difficult to navigate at times, however, I can’t image where else this would go and it was still fun! The savour portion of the evening was simply amazing, the food was very good and there was lots of it, all local and prepared with care. My wife and I are looking forward to next years event, we saw old friends and met some new ones. It was quickly apparent the organizer Steve and his crew from TIDES really knocked it out of the park with this event.
Thanks Ian. As the event was sold out, you are right it was a little cozy in the Sip wine tasting reception. We have some ideas for 2015 which will give everyone a little more elbow room. Looking forward to making it more remarkable next year!
Hey Steve,
Just noticed your post about it, now, so thought I’d leave a comment… It was a fun event. Excellent food and drink. Well organized. Good venue. Well done!
The focus on ‘local’ drew me to your event; vendors/farmers, food, drink, music performers, venue, volunteers… And, add in meeting new people and conversations = a great formula.
Thank you for bringing it all together, and connecting different people in the community, to each other. We need more events like this. 🙂
Ben
This was a great community event showcasing the wide variety of local foods, wines, ciders and spirits available on the Saanich Peninsula. The sold out event made for a evening of lots of great conversations and laughs. And the “sips” and “savour” were superb. Definitely value for money and a fun evening out.
I’m a big fan of supporting new ventures especially involving local food. There’s a huge “appetite” for food-related events on Vancouver Island, and once people realize what a phenomenal evening “Sip and Savour” was, tickets will sell out rapidly for next March (2015).
The event itself was very well-organized. From the moment I arrived, I felt welcome. The suppliers had lovely offerings, and were happy to chat –the number of tasting coupons exceeded my expectations. Based on the tasting portion of the evening, I’ve mapped out an entire summer of exploring the peninsula.
The dinner portion was excellent–I’m a big fan of family-style cooking, and encouraging attendees to sit at long tables was a brilliant idea. Friends and I had a great time connecting with people who previously had been strangers–and found that we had quite a bit in common.
Thanks for including local musicians, and having a couple of well-spoken individuals present their companies in a brief and informative fashion.
Altogether well planned and executed. Based on my experiences this year, I’m happy to help spread the word for 2015.