The state of Washington is second to California in US wine production and most of its wine comes from the Columbia Valley. Our Okanagan River is a tributary of the Columbia, and the same growing conditions that make the southern Okanagan good country for red wine are present in its neighbour to the south. The […]
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Red Burgundy made from the Pinot Noir grape has long been an icon of the wine world. Wine-makers from every wine producing country have been entranced with the idea of producing wines of similar elegance and sophistication. Regions which have similar climatic conditions and soils have attempted to replicate the success of Burgundy, and have […]
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Chile and Argentina The biannual Opimian Offshore was in Chile this past November – the perfect opportunity to visit our Chilean suppliers and have presentations from our Argentinian ones. I was able to taste many of the wines on this Offering, and since Opimian has been with all these suppliers for many years now, I […]
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Aging wine in oak barrels is an important part of wine-making. Gaining an understanding of the role of oak in the taste (and cost) of wines was the goal of a morning I spent at Tonnellerie Nadalié in Chile last November during our Opimian trip. Oak is preferred for wine barrels over other woods because […]
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It’s early summer in Australia right now, and daytime highs across most of the continent will be in the 30s or high 20s. By any measure the country is a much warmer place than our province. If Australia was in the North Atlantic, it would be centred on a line between the Bahamas and Western Sahara, […]
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December 20, 2016
Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Opimian Society, Other Countries, South Africa
The Opimian Society’s most recent offering catalog is just out and reaching mailboxes around the country. As a long-time member of Opimian I have had some experience with many of the wines and suppliers, and even visited some of the wineries. Some current (or prospective) members might find my comments helpful in making their own selections […]
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Mountains are a signature feature of almost any image of the landscape of Chile. Those same mountains have played a major role in the cultivation of what could be called Chile’s signature grape: Carménère. During my recent trip to Chile I participated in a masterclass on Carménère conducted by Gonzalo Garcamo, the wine-maker at Viña la […]
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Chile is the fourth largest wine exporter in the world, and largest exporter from the New World. Only France, Italy, and Spain are larger. They have major markets in North and South America, Europe, and east Asia (China, Japan, South Korea). They are not just making affordable, simple wines, which they do very well, but […]
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C244 – Australia & New Zealand The 2017 wine delivery season, kicking off with this Offering, marks a major year of transition for the Opimian Society as its investments in new resources, web site, processes, logo and other measures are rolled out for members. The Opimian Society# is “Canada’s wine club” and offers some 500 wines […]
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I started last week’s report on the “Tasting of Wines from Italy” event mentioning the wide diversity of grape varieties from Italy. I am always interested to taste a varietal that is new to me, and also to taste a known varietal from a new region/terroir. With a sample of one it is not possible […]
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Steve Delaney
February 6, 2017
USA
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