‘Wine Ninjas’ strike again—this time in Quebec’s Eastern Townships

"It's fun to dress up and do something nice like that," said Jennifer Ruggins Muir, who started the trend in the village of Knowlton, in the Eastern Townships.

Muir, 47, first read about the growing wine ninja movement that began in Alberta through a Facebook group that has over 2,200 women signed up. Women simply enter the address of their friend and wait for a 'ninja' to sneakily deliver a bottle of wine to their front door. Then the woman who received the wine nominates someone else to receive a bottle of wine.

"This is why it is only for women," said one woman who is part of the online group. "We want it to be safe for them since they give their address. "

Almost 200 women have now dressed up as ninjas to deliver wine to the door steps of their "victims." Of course, the plan is to remain unnoticed during the delivery. They drop the bottle off, ring the door bell and get out of there.

"We have all kept our children's hearts," said one "ninja." "It's a way to keep people's spirits up during these tough times brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic."

"Some of them have lost their jobs while others are very tired because they are nurses," said one promoter of the page.

Célina Stamouli, 42, is someone who lost their job recently and she said, "It helps break the isolation," Stamouli borrowed a ninja sweater from her son so she could perform the delivery incognito.

The wine is paid for by the ninja as well, so everything is done strictly on a gifting basis, said Muir.

"It's the kind of gesture that can put a smile on anyone's face," said Melissa Cahill, 47, who recently was the target of a ninja delivery.

"Several of us deposit local products and that helps keep our local economy going," said Muir, who also noted that some ninjas deliver candy, cookies and hot milk in addition to the wine.