RESERVE WINE AND CHOCOLATES

Stottle Winery (2641 Willamette Dr. NE, Lacey) is hosting a Reserve Wine and Chocolates event noon to 5 p.m. Feb. 16-17. Stottle will be popping the cork of limited supply bottles of 2008 varietals and reserves. Background tunes, candlelight and chocolate will be present to accompany them. Event is $12 to attend, or free for club members. For more information, call 360.515.0356. Extend the Hallmark romanticism.

JOESEPPI'S TAKE OVER

You can contribute to a local non-profit just by eating out. Junior League of Tacoma's provisional class is taking over Joeseppi's Italian Ristorante (2207 N. pearl, Tacoma) Feb. 21.  Ten percent of dinner sales will go to benefit FISH Food Bank. They are also accepting donations of peanut butter, canned goods and diapers of all sizes.

BIG BEER FESTIVAL

Brewers spend a lot of research time, money and trial and error to cultivate their super yeast strains that can survive the high-alcohol brewing environment and produce well-attenuated beers that have a minimum of six percent alcohol by volume. These brewers should be rewarded for their big beer efforts. These brewers should be celebrated. More importantly, beer drinkers should be able to taste the big beers - maybe 60 or so of them under one, rustic roof. Bennett Thurmon and Roxi Lee, two forces behind the annual Tacoma Craft Brew Festival, will celebrate strong, big beers at their new, winter beer get-together, the Big Beer Festival. Twenty regional vendors and around 60 beers will be housed Feb. 16 at the Foss Waterway Seaport (705 Dock St.) along the Thea Foss Waterway. The festival will be divided into two sessions, one from noon to 4 p.m., the second from 4:30-8:30 p.m. Advance tickets will be $20 at brownpapertickets.com, which includes a 5.5 oz., commemorative taster glass and six tasting tokens. Additional pours will cost $1.50 each. Admission will go up to $25 the day of the event. Proceeds will benefit YWCA. Northwest Mini is the main sponsor.

NEW MENU

Top of Tacoma Bar and Cafe (3529 McKinley Ave., Tacoma) has released a brand new, delicious full menu. If that doesn't entice you to pop in, then perhaps the breaking news that they are now open for lunch 7 days a week will lure you in. That's twice the opportunity to try said new menu. New hours are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.

TREOS OPEN

Treos (2312 N. 30th, Tacoma) has opened in the Old Town Tacoma spot formerly occupied by Tully's Coffee. Treos offers a selection of nibbles as well as beer, wine and cafe coffee staples - all wrapped up in a modern, swanky interior.