Wine tasting
A mellow space where creativity breathes
It wasn’t about being pretentious.
It wasn’t about swirling glasses and naming fruits no one’s actually tasted.
It was about slowness.
On a quiet Sunday afternoon in December, we dimmed the Velvet Shaker lights a little earlier than usual. The late sun filtered through our blinds with that soft golden haze only winter light knows how to make. It was the perfect kind of day to pause, sip, and let time stretch.
This was Wine Arvo—our take on the classic wine tasting, filtered through the Velvet Shaker lens.
A sommelier who tells stories, not facts
Liam, our guest sommelier for the day, greeted guests not with a list of tasting notes, but with a simple question:
“What mood are you in?”
That set the tone. This wasn’t a lecture. It was a shared experience.
We tasted six wines over the course of two hours, each introduced with a personal story. A mineral-rich white from Galicia that reminded Liam of his first solo trip abroad. A spicy orange wine from Slovenia he discovered in a beach bar with no name. Every bottle had a backstory, a landscape behind it, a person he remembered when he drank it.
“The wine doesn’t need to impress you. It just needs to speak to you in its own language.”
—Liam, Velvet Shaker Guest Sommelier
People didn’t take notes. They didn’t need to. They closed their eyes. Smelled. Sipped slowly. Talked softly. A couple started sketching in their notebook. Someone else just leaned back, swirling their glass without saying a word.
Bites to bring the flavors out
We designed a small pairing menu for the tasting. Nothing fancy—just the right bite at the right time.
Grilled peach and burrata crostini with a chilled rosé.
Cured duck breast on black rye with a bold Barbera.
Dark chocolate bark with sea salt and a late harvest Riesling.
The idea was simple: Let the food enhance the wine without overpowering the moment. No heavy cutlery, no big plates. Just pairings that gave you something to think about, and something to smile at.
The art of soft gathering
What made Wine Arvo special wasn’t just the wine. It was the way people connected.
By the third glass, the room had softened. Strangers had become tablemates. Conversations flowed as easily as the refills. Some talked about vineyards they had visited. Others just shared what they were tasting—sometimes poetic, sometimes hilarious. One guest said their Chardonnay “tastes like the feeling of changing your bedsheets.” Everyone nodded in agreement.
We didn’t have to orchestrate it. The mood built itself.
Ending on a note of ease
As the sun dipped below the skyline, Liam poured the final glass: a silky Syrah from the Rhône. The music shifted into jazz. A few guests stayed long after the event ended, sipping slowly, laughing about nothing important.
That’s when we knew it worked.
Wine Arvo wasn’t about showcasing expensive bottles. It was about what wine does when it’s given space to breathe—just like people.
We’ll be bringing it back. Not every week. Not on a fixed schedule. Just when the mood feels right. When the light is soft. When the world needs a slower afternoon.
