For almost every wine-drinking occasion, the first question asked is “red or white?”. We say choose both! In Canada, 35% of wine consumed is white. Compare that to Australia where that number is over 60%. A subscription case for white wine lovers (and everyone else for that matter) is long overdue at Opimian.
Introducing the White Wine Select subscription. Join the program and then every Cellar (10 times each year), we’ll automatically order you a special, three-bottle case of marvellous white wine selected by our team of Masters of Wine. Without fail, these wines will represent excellent value and the feature region of each Cellar.
White wines have always been popular with Opimian Members and that preference continues to grow. We recognized that trend and set to work on finding wines suitable for a ‘Select’ program. That is to say premium quality and superior drinkability. We went that extra mile for you by asking the producers to provide them in 3-packs. You can always get six by subscribing for two cases but if you want to ‘put your toe in the white wine’, you can.
While no one alive really knows when the first white wine was produced, references to it are at least 4,000 years old. Vinified without sustained contact with the skins, white wine can be produced from any colour grape. Gewürztraminer, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Noir are coloured grapes that are commonly made into white wine. Add to that the classic white grapes led by Chardonnay, and you have a kaleidoscope of varieties to choose from.
The reaction from our producers has been nothing less than spectacular. So often, white wines are favourites in the professional wine world, but they can be overlooked by many. Our winemaker partners are very excited to provide these wines to Members through the program. Ask a sommelier what their favourite varietal is, and you’ll get white wine in your answer more often than not. This is such as a great way to expand your cellar, your palate and your wine knowledge.
Now let’s talk about white wine and food. We’ve all heard the ‘white wine with chicken and fish—red wine with pork and beef’. While it’s a great place to start, there is a lot more flexibility to this than one might imagine. Chardonnay with the Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey is classic but try a Vermentino with fennel-spiced pork sausage. Yum! Next time you have the chance, try that Chardonnay with a steak. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
That brings us back to the White Wine Select subscription program. Sign up and you’ll begin to have some wonderful white varietals to drink in those classic situations as well as to experiment with foods and occasions that you may not have thought of otherwise. It’s a small investment in your wine journey and you can cancel anytime. Go to your dashboard and enroll. We’ll start to automatically order these superb wines for you. They’re not just for spritzers anymore! (although there’s nothing wrong with that either).