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The War of the Worlds?
by Igor Ryjenkov MW A UFC fight promo? Nothing quite that scary or dramatic. “Old World vs New World” is a short-hand handle that effectively puts all the wine in the world into one of the two largest “buckets”: the wines of Europe, Asia Minor and Levant vs those made elsewhere in the world.…
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We’re Listening …
by Michael & Greg, Managing Directors With thousands of Members representing every province and territory, we receive a lot of feedback. While we can’t satisfy every request, when we get the same suggestion from hundreds of Members, we consider it a trend. You’ll notice in this Cellar that, in…
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The Price Value Conundrum
By Michael Palij, MW It’s a taxing question, whether it is worth paying more for a bottle of wine. On a federal basis, duty is charged per litre of liquid (or per litre of pure alcohol so we need to assume that all wines are the same ABV) and not as a percentage of…
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WSET Level 1 Classes are Back!
If you are interested in starting a career in wine, or simply want to learn more about the basics, this course is designed for you. This course will provide you the essentials of viticulture, vilification, the main grape varietals and styles of wine, wine and food synergy, the major structural components…
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California, Here We Come!
By Michael Lutzmann, Managing Director It’s late afternoon on a warm, sunny day somewhere in a California wine region. A bank of fog is building over the Pacific Ocean and is headed your way. Before long, the fog rolls in and the temperature drops quickly. The moisture will often linger well into the…
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Up to the Minute Newsletter
Opimian Events tinyurl.com/OpimianEvents 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 Jagged Ridge Wine Racks Save 10% on wine racks @ Amazon – use code Opimian10 tinyurl.com/JRRacks …
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The Sunshine Grapes of the Languedoc-Roussillon
By Jacky Blisson MW Stretching along the Mediterranean coast from the Spanish border to Provence, the Languedoc-Roussillon is France’s wine powerhouse. Over one-third of all French wine hails from this warm, sunny area. The region’s vineyards cover large swathes of land from the flat coastal plains to the foothills of…
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Up to the Minute Newsletter
Upcoming Member Travel Opimian Member Travel came back with a bang last year. A sold-out trip to France included visits to several of our beloved partner wineries. 2023 is Italy. Our Tuscany trip in October sold out on the first day so we’ve added one to Piedmonte. Tuscany – sold out…
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THE OPIMIAN Q&A
Alexander Sichel tells us about his family winery, the history of his estate and his wines. How did you and your family get started in the wine industry? Have you always been a wine lover? The family business was established seven generations ago, in 1883, in Bordeaux. I grew up in Margaux (a…
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Exploring the diversity of French Terroir
by Michael & Greg, Managing Directors When the average wine lover thinks of France, they think of the usual suspects – Champagne, Bordeaux, maybe the Rhône. No harm, no foul – these are great regions. When an Opimian Member thinks of France, they have a far broader reach and understanding. Great wines and spirits…
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Maison Le Breton, a Wine House for House Wines
Every wine has a story, and so does our winery. We know the story behind each of our wines, each of our cuvées. And we think you should too. The good things in life should be shared with others. New name, same passion: BLB Vignobles becomes Maison Le Breton, because nothing…
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Focus on Pfalz
By Igor Ryjenkov MW Mosel and Rheingau, rightly or wrongly, often take the lion’s share of the limelight when it comes to German wine. But overlooking the other regions comes at your own peril as a savvy wine consumer. Let’s take Pfalz, our topic today, a region with one of the warmer climates in…
The War of the Worlds?
by Igor Ryjenkov MW A UFC fight promo? Nothing quite that scary or dramatic. “Old World vs New World” is a short-hand handle that effectively puts all the wine in the world into one of the two largest “buckets”: the wines of Europe, Asia Minor and Levant vs those made elsewhere in the world. […]