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Can You Say Variety?
Whether it’s grape varieties (over 30), wine regions (over 20), or styles (red, white, rosé and sparkling), this Cellar offering has variety in spades. Don’t worry, we’ve given you lots of help in deciding what you’d like to order. Michael Palij, MW will help you sort out Northern Italy. Igor Ryjenkov,…
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Q & A Antichello
Named after a fictional character from 19th or early 20th century literature, “Antichello” is described as a naughty, witty boy with magical talents – the likes of David Copperfield combined with Peter Pan. Antichello wines are modern in style with fresh dark fruits. Created and owned by the Begnoni family, the winery is in Pedemonte…
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Getting to Know Northern Italy
By Michael Palij, MW What was different back in 1995? My hair was a shade darker as I drove my Alfa 156 through Soave, seeking to break the Rubicon that was giving the North a bad name. The reputation of its native wines hung squarely in the balance, and, although Elio Altare hadn’t raised…
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The Crus of Beaujolais
The Crus of Beaujolais – The Highest Quality Wines the Region has to Offer! When wine lovers think of the wines of Beaujolais, light and fruity wines come to mind. The wines from the Beaujolais Crus are perfect for those who want the best of both worlds from this region – fruity, yet with…
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Bordeaux Vintage Report
By Jacky Blisson MW Frost, hail, heatwaves, drought, wildfires… The 2022 growing season threw more than its share of challenges at Bordeaux grape growers. And yet, early reports from across the region categorize the vintage as very promising. Record-Breaking Growing Season In Bordeaux, the 2022 vintage broke thirty-year meteorological records for heat…
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The Modernization of Bordeaux
By Michael Palij, MW The Paris riots and the French Revolution are both now well behind us but there is an insurrection of another kind currently underway in Bordeaux. The elephant in the room, of course, is global warming and, judging by the raisins that passed for healthy grapes on the vines in 2022,…
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Rioja – Onwards and Upwards
My first professional visits to Rioja were in 1994 & 1995, coinciding with two vintages that were subsequently highly lauded, and still capable of delivering delicious wines today. I vividly recall stepping off the plane at Bilbao airport and being greeted by that unmistakably Spanish waft of rich, musky tobacco. Those visits were the…
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The Opimian Q&A: Lightfoot and Wolfville
Founders Jocelyn and Michael Lightfoot began their journey in winegrowing in 2009 in the Annapolis Valley. Opimian is proud to introduce them to our Members across Canada! Read our Q&A to learn more about Jocelyn and Michael. What is the origin story of Lightfoot and Wolfville? What is the meaning behind the name? The name…
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Spain: A Study in Contrasts
Spain is a study in contrasts: its culture a mix of old-school Catholic conservatism and forward-thinking liberalism, its cuisine a blend of hearty traditional fare and innovative modernism, and its landscape and climate an assemblage of arid sun-baked plateaus and sea-cooled coasts. It’s unsurprising to discover that the diversity of Spanish wine captures this world…
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Patience Rewarded: Maturing Wine
You spied an older vintage on your host’s table or the wine list, and now you are intrigued. Will it be a sensory delight of mature aromas and textures or a disappointment of oxidized, tired, vinegary liquid? Brushing up on a few things about maturing wine would significantly improve your chances of reaping the rewards…
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Markus Molitor, “Mr. 300 Points”
Markus Molitor is the White Wine that Belongs in Your Cellar
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Getting to Know Champagne
Champagne hails from the region of the same name in Northeastern France, about 140km from Paris. It is, without question, the world’s most revered bubbly.
Can You Say Variety?
Whether it’s grape varieties (over 30), wine regions (over 20), or styles (red, white, rosé and sparkling), this Cellar offering has variety in spades. Don’t worry, we’ve given you lots of help in deciding what you’d like to order. Michael Palij, MW will help you sort out Northern Italy. Igor Ryjenkov, […]