YAY LONGEVITY ... AND BUBBLY! >>>

Champagne is most widely considered a libation for celebratory purposes. The sound of the cork popping renders excitement and reminiscing of New Year shindigs.

Saturday, the Black Door Wine Company will give you an excuse to indulge in the bubbly with an annual Champagne tasting of French Premier Cru. They will be offering an opportunity to sip on few Champagnes as well as a couple of Proseccos and a Cava. Its press release states eloquently, "A representative from France will be at Black Door Wine Company to answer your questions about this beautiful French bubbly & to speak about texture, complexity, savoriness, and acidity."

As it happens this is also a celebration as it falls on the one-year anniversary for this little North End wine shop. Owners David Lower and Victoria Johnson are newly adopted Tacomans. Hailing from Seattle -  Lower once in the business of our favorite roasted bean and Johnson an artist - the two came to Tacoma because they liked the movement they witnessed and wanted to join in as "pioneers of an evolution of the city."

Johnson found the wine shop's current location just across the Proctor Bridge. She knew it was just right, though it needed some TLC. "The building was derelict, the two of us came in and did a lot of work," says Johnson. A complete renovation of the property included them utilizing a jackhammer.

You'd never know if you visit the lovely wine shop with its classy ambiance and decor. The facade of the shop is a small room, walls lined with bottles low lights like spotlights on the labels. As you venture further into Black Door Wine Company you see its event space, with Johnsons paintings adorning the walls, lovely pops of color with Johnsons studio just beyond.

The owner's mission is about education - for both the wine aficionado and novice. They sample and select only the finest wines, which does not always equate to the most expensive. Both play excellent hosts and are brimming with information of the process of creating wine, the history of featured wineries and can suggest some varietals that you may not have otherwise fallen in love with, let alone tried.

Johnson says that since the shop's inception, "We have met the most intriguing people, some who live here and have grown up here. People travel from Seattle and everywhere to visit."

It's pretty clear this duo enjoys their work.

Join them in celebrating and sipping with some bubbly 3-7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10. The cost is $15.

BLACK DOOR WINE COMPANY, 3906 N. 34TH ST., TACOMA, WWW.BLACKDOORWINECOMPANY.COM