RUSSELL – DeafBlind Ontario Services want to challenge your perceptions of sensory loss and the artistic process with their first ever Savour the Senses event Sat., Sept. 28 at Russell High School.

“It’s going to be a really indulgent evening of wine, whiskey, and art in the dark,” said Samantha Marren, communications specialist for the DeafBlind Ontario Services. “Our guests are really going to feel that their perception and their artistic process are challenged by this event.”

Guests will have the pleasure of engaging in a blindfolded wine tasting, provided by Noreen Hyatt-Gervais of the Stone Crop Acres Winery in Morrisburg, who will be guiding the guests through the process. The blindfold is meant to take away one sense in order to enhance the other four.

“They will be tasting three different wines from Eastern Ontario vineyards,” said Marren. “The blindfold component is going to really allow them to experience their other senses. Without their sense of sight, they’re really going to be able to smell and sip the wine; it’s going to be a completely different experience.”

After the wine-tasting, the guests will enjoy a delicious gourmet dinner followed by a dessert paired with a whiskey-tasting similar to the previous exercise, guided by King’s Lock Distillery owner Laura Bradley. Lastly, the guests will be able to participate in a deafblind art exercise.

“This will really give them that insight on the people that we support, and we do that simulation with the same blind[fold] mask from the other tastings and ear plugs,” said Marren. “Both those senses will be deprived and then they’ll really be able to unleash their creativity. They’ll all create an art piece that they will be able to bring home afterwards.”

Tickets are currently on sale on the DeafBlind Ontario’s website at deafblindontario.com/events/savour-the- senses. Each ticket is currently at an early bird special of $55 but after Fri., Sept. 13, the special is over, raising the price $65 a piece.

Try to reserve your spot as quickly as you can.