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Up-to-the-Minute – News, Events & Travel
Member Benefits We are always looking for ways to make your Opimian Membership more valuable than having exclusive access to world-class, magnificent wines. Here are just a few of the benefits of Membership. Opimian Events Producer Tastings Coming to a City Near You in 2024! Producer Tastings will be rolling out across the country in…
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Can’t Go Wrong with Rhône
Let’s just jump straight to what really matters, and that is the style of the wines of Rhône. Could we be making generalizations about the 2nd largest French wine region with over 66,000 hectares planted with 34 different grapes? With 75% red wine and 94% of the volume made in its southern reaches, it is…
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Elevated Wines from Elevated Vineyards
When you turn to the Masterpiece on page 4, you’ll notice that the article is about the recognition that the quality of South American wines is on the rise globally. As an Opimian Member, you’re way ahead of the game. You’ve known it for years and have benefited from that knowledge in the past. The…
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Natural Wine: The Resurgence of Tradition
Natural wines are often considered to be the world’s first wine style, and it is undeniable that this ancient tradition has made a comeback. What are natural wines? Simply put, these are wines that are made by fermenting grape juice with no or minimal sulfites added. Conventional wines include the use of sulfites…
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Discovering Languedoc’s Mas de Daumas Gassac
Mas de Daumas Gassac is a fairytale worthy of Charles Perrault, although in this case, it was a glove rather than a shoe that fit ‘just so.’ Aimé Guibert was a lawyer turned glovemaker from Paris when he decided to invest in a holiday home in the Hérault. He purchased Mas de Daumas Gassac in…
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Alsace: Got to Get It Back in Your Life
For a variety of reasons, Alsace may have been flying slightly under the radar on a few markets lately, but it has too much going for it for the status quo to persist. Alsace occupies the northeastern corner of France and follows the border-marking Rhine River, known here as Rhin. The upper, more southerly Haut-Rhin…
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The Rising Global Appeal of South America’s Premium Wines – From Mendoza to the Valleys of Chile
One thing is certain about South American wines: they deserve to be taken seriously. Viñedo Chadwick, Chile’s most expensive wine, currently has an average price of US$327 and earns an aggregate score of 94 points from leading critics[1]. In comparison, Bordeaux’s Pétrus is priced at US$4421, with a slightly higher score of 96 points. So,…
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Recipe Spotlight: Chorizo Ravioli with Grilled Carrot Mousseline
Although pasta is an Italian classic, it offers infinite ways to surprise by using it in different combinations. In this recipe, we use simple ingredients, highlighting them through their preparation. The combination of the spicy chorizo filling in the ravioli, along with the oriental-seasoned mousseline and the tropical fruit-marinated carrots, creates an explosion of flavors…
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Tuscany: Of Roosters and Mavericks
…It was still an early morning when the two riders, traveling in opposite directions, spotted each other. They met near Fonterutoli, about 20 kilometers outside of Siena, and, as it had been agreed, this was where the boundary between the rivaling Florence and Siena would be set… The ride was triggered on both ends…
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The Art of Vertical Wine Tasting
Anyone who has experienced a vertical tasting knows how illuminating it is. For those who have yet to discover the delights of a vertical tasting, it is a comparison of the same wine over several vintages from the same estate, producer, or vineyard. This provides the taster some context as to how the particular wine evolves.…
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Timeless Orange Wines
In the Bosman family’s historic 260-year-old cellar, their approach is nothing short of progressive and innovative. They embrace new, clean plant material and varietals, ensuring a continuous supply of healthy rootstock and vines. Among their many traditions steeped in winemaking heritage, one stands out – that of orange wines. Although a rarity today, orange…
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All About Change
Let’s face it. The last few years have been hard on all of us. No matter where you live on the planet, you have been affected by the pandemic and the all-encompassing, permanent change it brought with it. Has wine and, by extension, Opimian helped? Surely! But the change in the world order has…
Up-to-the-Minute – News, Events & Travel
Member Benefits We are always looking for ways to make your Opimian Membership more valuable than having exclusive access to world-class, magnificent wines. Here are just a few of the benefits of Membership. Opimian Events Producer Tastings Coming to a City Near You in 2024! Producer Tastings will be rolling out across the country in […]