A little inside baseball for wine lovers: Oct./Nov./Dec. is prime time to get out and hit the free wine tastings at local wine shops. Wine salespeople, importers, and distributors let loose with the good stuff this time of year, trying to get retail buyers and you to spend your Christmas Club on their best juice. I spy 75% more Champagne tastings alone this time of year. Need a pit stop on the way home? The winemaker from aptly named Animale is pouring at City Cellars today from 5:00pm to 7:00pm in Wallingford. …and here’s a few highlights for Saturday, the 22nd: In Ballard, the Wine Shop on 24th (5902 to be exact) will feature I don’t know what because they wouldn’t pick up the phone all day, but they’ll do it from 3-6pm (see my last post). Vino Bello in Burien (4-7pm) will feature wines of France from Vin de Garde (one of the importers from whom I used to procure many a hidden gem), and JD Hobson will be playing Americana/blues. Down in SODO, Esquin features Italian wines from Small Vineyards poured by Master Sommelier Laura Williamson (fancy!) 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Champion Cellars at 1st and Denny will visit Alsace, Bordeaux, the Rhone and more; and pouring 11:00am to 5:00pm, you can surly fit them in. McCarthy & Schiering hosts Andrew Will winemaker/pioneer/all-around cool guy Chris Camarda, who will pour his reds at the Ravenna shop from 11:00am to 2:00pm and the Queen Anne store 2:30 to 5:00pm.