DIRECTORS’ CUT P5
JANE’S COUPS DE COEUR P7
AZIENDA AGRICOLA CORTESE P8
NEW MICHAEL PALIJ MW P12
AZIENDA AGRICOLA I PÀSTINI P14
LE VIGNE DI SAMMARCO P16
STEFANO GIRELLI & STEFANO CHIOCCIOLI P22
CELLAR UP! P26
TOP VALUE WINES P28
SPUMANTE P30
VENETO P34
Montigoli - Cantina Valpolicella Negrar P35
Villa dè Moreschi P36
PIEMONTE P38
Speroni P39
Terrenostre P40
Bosio / Truffle Hunter P41
Roche Vini Bera Di Bera Valter P42
PFLÜGER P44
STEPP P50
COLLECTOR’S CORNER P54
WEB EXCLUSIVES P56
Sitting amidst Sicily’s vineyards, remains from ancient Greek temples and settlements date to the 8th century BCE. The ancient Greeks called the region that is now southern Italy Enotria –“the land of the vines” – though today virtually every region in Italy has a culture of producing wine. The long boot-shaped country, surrounded on three sides by sea with a backbone consisting of the Apennine Mountains, produces a huge variety of wines cultivated from hundreds of grape varieties, many of which are unheard of elsewhere: from the cool mountainous northern regions to Puglia and the Mediterranean island of Sicily in the south. Some 2,000 kilometres north of Sicily, the Pfalz region in western Germany is probably the most exciting wine region in the country with a new generation of winemakers making modern wines. Riesling reigns for white wines from this region, which is located between the Rhône River and the Haardt Mountains close to the French border, but it’s also fast developing a reputation for its red wines –in particular Pinot Noir.
JANE MASTERS MW, OPIMIAN’S MASTER OF WINE
Every wine offered by Opimian is tasted and selected for its deliciousness and value by our consultant Master of Wine, Jane Masters. Jane has an in-depth knowledge of the world of wine. Her aim is to share her experience and love of wine with members in an easy and informal manner. She is one of 416 Masters of Wine worldwide and was elected Chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine 2016-2018 by her peers.
P8
AZIENDA AGRICOLA CORTESE
CORTESE NOSTRU CARRICANTE, IGP TERRE
SICILIANE, ORGANIC WINE, 2020, LOT 2603, P9
P14
AZIENDA AGRICOLA I PÀSTINI
VERSO SUD SUSUMANIELLO, IGP, I PÀSTINI, 2019, LOT 2626, P15
P35
MONTIGOLI - CANTINA VALPOLICELLA NEGRAR
AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA, DOCG, MONTIGOLI, 2017, LOT 2646, P35
P40 TERRENOSTRE
TERRENOSTRE BARBERA D'ALBA, DOC, AJÉ, 2020, LOT 2656, P40
P16 LE VIGNE DI SAMMARCO
SOLEMNIS PRIMITIVO, IGP SALENTO, 2018, LOTS 2640, 2641, 2642, P19
P22
STEFANO GIRELLI & STEFANO CHIOCCIOLI
DEA DEL MARE MONTEPULCIANO
D'ABRUZZO, DOC, 2020, LOT 2614, P29
P41
BOSIO / TRUFFLE HUNTER
TRUFFLE HUNTER LEDA, BARBERA D'ALBA, DOC, BOSIO WINERY, 2020, LOT 2659, P41
P42
P30 SPUMANTE
84 PROSECCO BRUT, DOC TREVISO, LOT 2628, P31
DELIVERY WILL BE EARLY WINTER 2022
P12
NEW PRODUCER
MICHAEL PALIJ MW
ROCHE VINI BERA DI BERA VALTER
ROCHE BARBARESCO, DOCG, 2017, LOT 2663, P43
cover — The Cortese team is is all here! Stefano Chioccioli and Stefano Girelli, the dynamic
are sitting on their tractor surrounded by their
P44 PFLÜGER
PFLÜGER SAUVIGNON BLANC QUARZIT, PFALZ, 2020, LOT 2672, P45
P50 STEPP
STEPP SINGLE CRU CASE, LOT 2687, P53
Michael Lutzmann and Greg Rinehart, Opimian Co-Managing Directors
This Cellar features the dark, rich wines from the warmth of Sicily in the south, the excellent but lesser-known Umbrian Sangiovese and Grechetto, and the northern superstars of Piemonte and Veneto.
When you look at a map of Italy, it's not difficult to see why there is such a variety of Italian wine styles. “The Boot” extends to the Mediterranean Sea with a length of 1,185 kilometres. Its topography is varied.
All in all, you will have over 25 indigenous varieties to choose from in this issue. Whether it's crisp whites, rare red varietals (Nerello Mascalese, Minutolo, Susumaniello, Cesanese), glorious Prosecco, or even the occasional rosé that you crave, they are here for you. You'll find some Opimian favourites and many new labels throughout these pages. Try something new, knowing that it represents both quality and value from one of the top wine-producing countries in the world.
We have the writing of no fewer than three Masters of Wine (MWs) in this Cellar. Remember, there are only 409 in the entire world! Along with Jane's regular Master Piece, Canadians Michael Palij MW and
Barbara Philip MW share their insights on Pink Prosecco and German Riesling respectively. Your access to this level of expertise is unique and a cornerstone of why Opimian wines are consistently ranked amongst the best in Canada.
Many of you will recognize the new sensation in wine retail – The Bottle Shop. We've created an online Italian Bottle Shop just for you. Check out our widest selection of Web Exclusive Wines ever at Opimian.ca/current-cellar.
If you think it's only about sweet Riesling, think again. The Rieslings you'll find on offer here are aromatic, fruity, and elegant white wines that range from very crisp and dry to well-balanced, sweet, and of enormous aromatic concentration. There are also a plethora of other varietals. Standard bearers Gewürztraminer and
Silvaner are here, but consider trying something unusual like the St.Laurent/ Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Alex Pflüger who has just returned to the Opimian family. Gerd Stepp's Pinot Noirs are always a crowd favourite and we've included his Argentian Malbec for the second year in a row.
Your Club continues to evolve and grow. Thank you to the hundreds of you who have expressed your delight in the direction Opimian is headed and to the thousands of you who place orders in each Cellar. It's a virtuous circle in which all of the stakeholders win. The Members, the Winemakers, and the global wine industry. We have reason to be proud of our place in the wonderful world of wine. Prost!
Greg & Michael
GREG'S PICKS
AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA, DOCG, MONTIGOLI, 2017, LOT 2646, P35
ZUCCHETTO PROSECCO CASE, LOT 2631, P33
GREG & MICHAEL’S PICKS FOR THIS CELLAR OFFERING
CERASUOLO
MICHAEL'S PICKS
VERVE NEGROAMARO, IGP SALENTO, 2018, WOOD BOX, SIGNED BY WINEMAKER, LOT 2644, P19
STEPP GEWÜRZTRAMINER, PFALZ, 2020, LOT 2683, P51
BAROLO, DOCG, 2017, LOT 2666, P55
Jane Masters MW is Opimian’s Master of Wine
When it comes to deciding what to drink a wine with, I believe there are no hard and fast rules. It’s down to personal taste – if you like a pairing, that’s the most important thing. Matching wine and food should be fun.
Gastronomy is constantly evolving, and today’s chefs pride themselves on finding increasingly unusual pairings that would have previously seemed unthinkable. If you are open minded and willing to give them a try, they can be fantastic. Wine is no different. Your starting point may be a particular dish, and the challenge is to find wines that could go well with it. Or maybe you just fancy a glass of a particular wine and will then choose what to eat with it.
BIODYNAMITE, PFALZ, 2020, LOT 2676, P49
Rules such as white wine with fish or red wine with meat are pretty simplistic and not really very helpful. White wines range from light, crisp and fruity to rich, heavy, toasty oaky styles. Red wines also offer a gamut of flavours, body and structure. Fish and meat are prepared in a variety of ways – simply lightly grilled, roasted or with rich buttery or spicy sauces. Hence successful food pairings depend on how ingredients are cooked, and what they are served with. I tend to think of the flavours and richness of the food and wine. Pairing like with like flavours works well but having a contrast between the wine and food can also be great. There are many books on the subject but one of my favourites is written by Canadian François Chartier, called Taste Buds and Molecules. It identifies flavour compounds that characterize various foods that are also present in certain wines and groups them together to try and give an understanding as to why some matches work so well. Many wines come from regions that have a local traditional cuisine based on the produce, wild herbs and spices available. Wine and local recipes developed over time to enhance one another, often leading to classic pairings like Piemontese white truffle dishes with local Barbera and Dolcetto wines, or Red Bordeaux with Pauillac lamb. Barbera also pairs well with lamb,
as well as simple beef and pork dishes. Traditional pairings can be a guide to what may work well in another region or country which has its own different local cuisine. Rich hearty Amarone enhances traditional gamey dishes like venison and braised beef, so should also work nicely with elk, moose or caribou. Canadian maple syrup, when used in sweet marinades, goes well with oaky reds such as Shiraz, or in desserts with sweet wines. Syrah/Shiraz often has black pepper flavours and can go well with peppery sauces. For rich, complex spicy dishes like Moroccan tajine, I go for fuller spicy red wines. Lighter dishes, chicken, veal and fresh vegetables tend to go well with lighter dry white wines like Pinot Grigio, Verdicchio or Soave, as well as lighter, less tannic reds like Pinot Noir or Valpolicella. Rich buttery or creamy sauces can go very well with more buttery or oaked white wines. Hence for pasta dishes and risottos, the sauce is an important factor. For tomato-based sauces, I would suggest reds like Montepulciano or even Pinot Grigio. Spicy Arrabiata or Puttanesca works with Primitivo and Sicilian reds. Creamy white or mushroom sauces can go well with white and lighter reds. Smoky flinty wines made from Sauvignon Blanc go well with oysters and other seafood. Dry Rieslings pair well with sushi, raw, smoked and cured fish Indeed, the tangy acidity and touch of residual sweetness means German wines go nicely with various Asian dishes.
Generally, for mature wines which are developed and complex, I would look for more complex meat dishes. Mature Barolo and Barbaresco go well with wild mushrooms, slow-cooked meat, and light gamey flavours like pheasant. Yet some of the most enjoyable pairings are the simplest – good steaks or good charcuterie will pair with a range of red wines. One of the most interesting ideas I came across recently was mortadella with dry sparkling rosé. Variety is the spice of life as the saying goes, and with wine, there is always something new to try.
VILLA DÈ MORESCHI
AMARONE DELLA
VALPOLICELLA, DOCG, CLASSICO, 2018, LOT 2652, P37
PEMO MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO, DOC, 2020, LOT 2620, WEB EXCLUSIVE
EVERYDAY DRINKING
ALIPASSO, APPASSIMENTO DA UVE SELEZIONATE, ALEATICO, IGP PUGLIA, FRANCO RIZZELLO SELEZIONE, 2018, LOT 2636, P17
STEPP PINOT NOIR, PFALZ, 2019, LOT 2682, P51
CORTESE SENIA NERO D'AVOLA, DOC SICILIA, ORGANIC WINE, 2017, LOT 2606, P10
Stefano Girelli fell in love with the island of Sicily many years ago – perhaps partly because of its great contrast with his alpine hometown, Trento, in the far north of Italy. Stefano realized the huge potential Sicily had for making premium wines at a time when it was seriously underrated. Cortese estate is located in the southeast of the island close to Ragusa and near the site of Kamarina, an ancient Greek city founded in 599 BCE. The estate is named after Giovanna Cortese, the previous owner who was a formidable Sicilian lady and who sold it after many years of negotiation when she could no longer run it herself. The island has mild wet winters and hot dry summers, and a landscape dotted with wild herbs and agave plants. Grapes are farmed organically, and winemaking at Cortese takes inspiration from its surroundings and history with wines fermented using wild yeast and minimal intervention.
2603
CORTESE NOSTRU CARRICANTE, IGP TERRE SICILIANE, ORGANIC WINE, 2020
Carricante $ 28.00 $ 168.00
Fresh and baked apple aromas with a touch of nuttiness. It is more steely on the palate with good depth and weight and a refreshing lemon-zest finish. The Carricante grape takes its name from local Sicilian dialect for “heavily laden.” Yields are limited at Cortese through strict pruning. It was kept on fine yeast lees for five months after fermentation.
2021-2022, M8 D9 Fresh and baked apple, nuts 6°C Mineral, lemon zest, [D]
Caprino fresco goat cheese
2602
CORTESE NOSTRU NERELLO MASCALESE, IGP TERRE SICILIANE, ORGANIC WINE, 2020
2021-2023, M8 D9
Grilled swordfish with tomatoes and capers
READ ABOUT STEFANO GIRELLI OF AZIENDA AGRICOLA CORTESE ON PAGE 24.
A light-coloured fruity wine with floral and red fruit flavours. It is easy drinking with herbal cola notes and some savouriness on the finish. Nerello Mascalese, an indigenous grape of southeast Sicily, likes a significant difference in temperature between day and night to fully ripen. At Cortese, it is planted at 400 metres, and grapes were picked by hand in late September-early October into small 10–15-kilogram baskets.
2606
CORTESE SENIA NERO D'AVOLA, DOC SICILIA, ORGANIC WINES, 2017
Catarratto is Sicily’s most widely planted white grape –but not all Catarratto is the same. Catarratto-Lucido is a clone named after the shiny skin of the grapes which produces smaller, more compact bunches and berries; hence, more concentrated wines. It has floral jasmine notes with lemon and apple aromas.
A deliciously interesting wine, quite light in structure. It has aromas of cooked reds fruits, vanilla and tarragon with a touch of smoke. On the palate, its relatively light structure is reminiscent of Pinot. Overall, it is a medium-bodied wine with sour cherry flavours and some bitter plum-skin fruits on the finish. Cerasuolo di Vittoria is the only area in Sicily with DOCG status. The wines were blended together and matured in barrels for six months.
Lasagna con carne
Intense ripe red fruit aromas of raspberries and strawberries combined with fresh coconut. This is a medium-bodied youthful wine with a supple mid palate with emerging fruit and savoury graphite flavours leading to an oaky bitter fruit finish. Nero d’Avola grapes were fermented in open-top casks with the grape skins manually pushed down into the fermenting juice. After 30 days on skins, the wine was racked into barrel for malolactic fermentation and matured for 12 months.
Notwithstanding a double major at the University of Toronto in English and Philosophy, gainful employment proved difficult and, as so many literary giants had turned to alcohol, it seemed rude not to. I enrolled in a wine course with Margaret Swaine and in 1989, armed with my budding love of wine and a dog-eared copy of my Let’s Go travel guide, I booked passage to England.
My first job was stacking shelves in Oddbins (at that time a legendary retailer) and I still remember that Damascene moment when I realised just how good wine could taste (Premier Cru Chablis – everyone asks). I was hooked and quickly rattled through all the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) courses. In 1992 the Institute of Masters of Wine accepted my application and in 1995, after tasting more than 25,000 wines, I was admitted as a member and became the world’s 196th Master of Wine. By then I was working as a buyer and my first trip to Italy in 1993 sparked a passion for the country, as well as for its food and wine, that has remained utterly undimmed. Italy endlessly fascinates me.
I was the third Canadian Master of Wine, after David Lake and David Gleave. It would be fair to say that most Canadians like a drink. Perhaps not as much as we MWs do, but as someone who grew up in Creemore, Ontario, at least I have an excuse!
The history, the unique combination of grape varieties and terroir, and the native creativity of the Italian soul provides boundless opportunities to discover the genuinely captivating.
I established Winetraders in 1997 with a single aim: to bring to the market those men and women who were working tirelessly to champion often long-forgotten varieties and appellations. Our selection process is exceptionally rigorous. In normal times I visit Italy up to 20 times a year, torturing hire cars and visiting those cellars that remain firmly under the radar.
It’s easy to manufacture a story at a trade fair but much harder to fake the vineyards or the winery when your client is on your doorstep. After a full audit, everything is tasted blind and in peer. Then, and only then, does a wine make it onto our list. We’ve worked with some growers for more than 30 years. I’ve watched their kids grow (some have worked with us in the UK for an internship) and together we’ve built our reputations. When asked, I offer technical advice, but this is usually in the winery rather than in the vineyard. I’m often asked to help blend or to comment on different ferments.
Today we work with more than 50 estates who all share these values. Our primary market is the UK but we also help clients in more than a dozen countries around the world. In Canada my association with Opimian has strengthened over the past four years as Members have responded overwhelmingly to the simple message that little can guarantee a good glass of wine more effectively than a passionate winemaker.
This year I am delighted to introduce Opimian Members to my own range, Terra Firma, comprising three Sicilians – two varietals and a Nero d’Avola-dominated rosé. I work with a local coop to assemble parcels from different vineyards and often from different altitudes. I’m looking for balance above all and sufficient depth of flavour to create something that really over-delivers at that price point. I hope you enjoy my wines and I thank you for your continued support!
Terra Firma is a range of Sicilian wines blended by Michael Palij MW, a Canadian Master of Wine based in the UK with a passion for all things vinous Italian. Michael works with growers from Trapani to Mazara del Vallo on the western side of Sicily. The region, originally famous for producing fortified Marsala wines, now uses the same indigenous grape varieties to make fresh table wines.
PRODUCER FOR THIS CELLAR
2622
TERRA FIRMA ROSATO, IGT TERRE SICILIANE, 2020
2623 TERRA FIRMA NERO D'AVOLA, DOC SICILIA, 2020
Nero d’Avola, Sangiovese, Merlot
The Rosato is a delightful pale, baby-pink colour produced from 70% Nero d’Avola, 20% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot. Smooth and well balanced, it has some winey aromas and a touch of sweetness.
Whilst quite restrained, the nose with fresh herbs and berries leads to a rich weighty palate. More fresh berries with floral flavours emerge, complemented by a sour acidity.
A touch of floral muscat notes with lemon, citronella and honey. This is a light white with a sour lemon finish. This side of the island is where Grillo was used to make Sicily’s famous fortified Marsala wine.
Gianni Carparelli's goal is to revive and promote native Puglian varieties such as Minutolo and Susumaniello. His winery, I Pàstini, in central Puglia in the south of Italy, is located at Martina Franca in the Valle d’Itria. He farms 15 hectares of vineyard organically on rocky calcareous, limestone soils; planted up to 350 metres, they benefit from a constant north breeze to moderate the heat of the summer sun.
Savoury aromas, initially with a touch of blackberry and chocolate, open up to reveal red fruits. It is a smooth round wine with sweet berry fruits and a long floral blueberry finish.
Grilled pork sausages
Minutolo
Verdeca, Bianco d’Alessano, Minutolo
Lemon sherbet, aniseed, lemongrass and touch of green leaf combine to give a fragrant and fresh impression. Similar flavours appear on the palate – then a searing acidity persists. This is a wine with lots of personality. The Minutolo grape variety was on the verge of extinction but was planted by Gianni in the hills around Rampone at 350 metres. The variety is named after the small berries that make up the bunch.
Subtle white fruits, peach, a touch of fennel, tarragon and yogurt create a complex combination. Citrus fruits, lemon, sour plum and rhubarb flavours are followed by a firm acidity and mineral finish.
Susumaniello
Cocoa powder, milk chocolate, cloves, mocha, but this wine has a strong oak influence too. It is relatively light mid palate with sweet fruit flavours leading to a grippy bitter cherry finish with plums and vanilla. Susumaniello is an indigenous variety from around Brindisi, with vineyards for Verso Sud just south of the Itria Valley. Oak matured for just six months, the oak character is very pronounced.
The Rizzello vineyards are in southern Puglia on the limestone peninsula which forms the heel of Italy’s boot called Salento. Salento is 100 kilometres long and 40 kilometres wide and juts into the sea forming the eastern side of the Gulf of Taranto in the Ionian Sea and separating it from the Strait of Otranto and the Adriatic. The Rizzello family have 180 hectares around Cellino San Marco. The climate in summer is hot and dry with constant breezes blowing in from the surrounding seas. They produce wines that are bold in style, high in alcohol and with residual sweetness.
2636
ALIPASSO, APPASSIMENTO DA UVE SELEZIONATE, ALEATICO, IGP PUGLIA, FRANCO RIZZELLO SELEZIONE, 2018
I first came across the Aleatico grape in Corsica many years ago: it has an unmistakable perfumed character. Originally from Tuscany, it spread southwards to Puglia where it is mainly found now. Alipasso 2018 has a characterful bouquet with dried figs, dates, savoury smoke and pipe tobacco. On the palate, it is smooth with Christmas cake, mixed dried fruits and raspberry flavours. This is a rich full-bodied wine, and I would suggest that anyone who likes Amarone wines should enjoy this style. Grapes were left to overripen until late September then picked by hand with some maturation in barrel. 2021-2024,
Roast game with fig sauce 2021-2024, M8 D9
2635 MARASIA MALVASIA NERA, IGP SALENTO, 2019
Blackcurrant pastille 18°C Black cherries, savoury 15% Gorgonzola
An intense wine with sweet fruit flavours. Aromas of blackcurrant pastilles continue on to the palate with more rich black cherry fruits, juicy concentrated mid palate and a savoury finish.
A medium-bodied wine with lots of dark fruit and chocolate flavours. Primitivo grapes were grown around Cellino San Marco and San Pietro Vernotico on both trellised and traditional bush vines. There is no use of oak, and it has a nice sour cherry finish.
Intense aromas of raisins and dates with smoke and forest floor lead to a rich and concentrated palate. This is a full-bodied wine with vanilla and raisin flavours contrasted by a sour acidity and bitter dried fruits on the finish. Manduria is the only region in Italy to specialize in the Primitivo variety. The DOP Primitivo Di Manduria sits behind the Gulf of Taranto on the west side of Italy’s heel.
This is not the sweetest wine in the Sammarco line up at 11g/l, but the residual sugar is more apparent on the sweet berry finish. Oaky aromas dominate the nose with some dried raisin character in the background. It is medium- to full-bodied with a firm acidity and sweet-sour combination.
Fresh apples, plums and brambly fruits with incense and oaky aromas lead to a rich concentrated palate. Oaky notes of cedar and sandalwood are also apparent on the palate, adding a savoury character on the finish. It was matured in oak barrels for six months.
The 1500ml single bottle (lot 2641) will be delivered in a wood case and signed by the winemaker.
Black cherries, menthol with a touch of oregano – this is quite New World in style and reflects the hot dry climate. It is medium bodied and mellow with appealing black fruits and a tangy acidity. Matured for six months in oak barrels – the oak is less dominant than in Solemnis.
The 1500ml single bottle (lot 2644) will be delivered in a wood case and signed by the winemaker.
$1501 per Cellar Offering
Overwhelmed by choosing wines in the Cellar?
Subscribe to The Masters Case, a mixed, six-bottle case curated by Jane Masters MW for members like you.
Even better, you get to taste the wines along with Jane Masters MW as soon as you receive them! Two bottles each of three outstanding wines from a featured producer to take the guesswork out of choosing! You’ll get to taste three styles of wine from a single Opimian producer that will challenge your palate and cultivate your curiosity. Rely on Jane’s expertise! The Masters Case producer for this Cellar is Michael Palij MW.
EASY to order EXPERTLY curated EFFORTLESSLY enjoyable THE BEST IN A BOX SUBSCRIBE TODAY Due to
Ingredients
1/2 lb. (225 g) Rigatoni pasta
• 4 Italian tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves
1/2 c. chopped basil
• Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1 eggplant, diced
• Grated salted ricotta cheese to taste
Directions
1. Dice tomatoes and place in pan with olive oil and garlic.
2. Add salt and pepper, basil and sugar and let tomatoes soften for 20 minutes or so.
3. Remove tomatoes from heat and sieve through food mill to obtain sauce.
4. Place sauce back on heat until sauce thickens.
5. Dice eggplant and sauté in frying pan. Drain well.
6. Cook pasta according to package instructions, and dress with tomato sauce.
7. Serves 4 plates, topped with fried eggplant and grated salted ricotta on each plate.
Ingredients
1 bread slice
• 1/4 c. milk
1 lb. (500 g) minced pork
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese Salt, to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 c. (500 g) tomato pulp
1 tsp double concentrated tomato paste
Directions
1. Remove crust from bread and tear remaining bread into bowl with milk. Let bread soften and mash up with fork. If there is excess milk, squeeze out and discard.
2. Add minced pork, Parmesan cheese and salt (to taste) to bread mixture. Mix well using hands until texture is homogenous.
3. Form egg-sized meatballs with hands.
4. Heat olive oil in pan and brown meatballs on all sides for couple of minutes.
5. Add tomato pulp and tomato paste and adjust seasoning with salt.
6. Stir well, cover and cook on low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, turning meatballs halfway through.
7. Transfer to platter and serve hot.
8. Serve as shared appetizer
These two simple yet delicious Italian recipes from Le Vigne di Sammarco are made to impress everyone at the table! Quick and easy to make, these dishes will become your weeknight staples.
DEITÀ PRIMITIVO, IGP PUGLIA, 2020, LOT 2639, P18
PRIMITIVO, IGP SALENTO, 2020, LOT 2637, P18
The two Stefanos – Girelli and Chioccioli – have worked together for many years. As a partnership, they complement each other well. Tuscan winemaker Stefano C. has made wines all around Italy; Stefano G., from a wine family in Trento in the north of Italy, has a strong commercial focus. Together they are The Wine People, making great wines at great value prices.
2607 COLPASSO GRILLO, DOC SICILIA, 2020 Grillo
24.00 $ 144.00
Grillo, coming from around Trapani in the west of the island famed for the production of Sicily’s fortified Marsala wine, was handpicked in late September and cool fermented. Yeasty doughy notes are complemented with nice ripe fruit aromas and a touch of lime. It has some nice weight on the palate leading to a deliciously crisp finish with flavours of lemon and grapefruit.
2608 COLPASSO NERO D'AVOLA, DOC SICILIA, 2020 Nero d'Avola
24.00 $ 144.00 2609 COLPASSO NERO D'AVOLA, DOC SICILIA, APPASSIMENTO, 2020
Grown in the west of the island, Colpasso Nero d’Avola has earthy berry aromas with fresh raspberries. It is medium bodied with a floral parma violet flavour and a grippy savoury bitter chocolate finish.
In the 8th century BCE, Sicily was part of the Greek Empire. The Colpasso Nero d’Avola label is a tribute to Greek mythology –specifically to Dionysus, the god of winemaking, grape harvest and dance. For Appassimento, Nero d’Avola grapes were picked midSeptember and then dried for 3-4 weeks, losing 30% of their weight. These are then blended with fresh grapes, producing a wine which is vibrant in colour with ripe blackberry and blueberry aromas. It is smooth with more ripe dark fruits on the palate and was matured in barrel.
PRODUCERS' CORNER
The Wine People
When they are both amazing vintners!
The Opimian community is in a unique and enviable position. We get to experience wines from around the world that no other Canadians even hear about. The same holds true in hearing the stories about how these wines come to be. In this Cellar, there are two brands, Colpasso and Carlomagno, that are the result of a collaboration of "The Two Stefano's".
Stefano Chioccioli, who is a member of the family who brought us Altadonna and Chioccioli wines in C281, and Stefano Girelli, the man behind the Cortese wines in this Cellar, have joined forces to create premium wines at very affordable prices. Chioccioli and Girelli have been working together for over two decades. Their collaboration has resulted in the best wines in their respective portfolios.
"Respect in the vineyard, courage in the winery" are Stefano Girelli's guiding principles. He and Stefano Chioccioli work closely together producing worldclass wines that you know as Dea Del Mare, PEMO, Integro, Indesio, Colpasso and Carlomagno. Born in Trento in northern Italy, Stefano and his sister Marina fell in love with Sicily and purchased Azienda Agricola Cortese from an 82-year-old woman after six years of negotiations. They have taken both the vineyard and the resulting wines to new heights.
Stefano Chioccioli’s experience is second to none. He has worked for wineries large and small in virtually every winemaking region of Italy and also has extensive international experience, making wines in France and Hungary. His wines have great success internationally and today more than 70 have “tre bicchieri” (an award reserved for wines considered as excellent in their respective categories). Both Robert Parker and The Wine Spectator have scored several Chioccioli wines 100 points.
No matter which of the “two Stefanos'” wines you taste, you'll experience the quality and depth that only passion, time and hard work can create.
2611
CARLOMAGNO PRIMITIVO, IGP, APPASSIMENTO, 2020
Primitivo
$ 26.00 $ 156.00
Primitivo grapes were grown on traditional “Alberello Basso,” or bush vines, around Sava on the west side of the Salento peninsula. In mid-August, a technique known as “il giro del picciolo” consists of twisting by hand the stalk of each bunch of grapes, thereby cutting off the flow of nutrients , and leaving the grapes to shrivel for around 12 days. Carlomagno 2020 has woody spice, savoury pencil lead aromas –it was matured in a combination of French and American oak. On the palate, sweet flavours, vanilla, caramel and ripe berries come through followed by an intense crème caramel and pâtisserie finish.
2021-2023, M8 D9
Woody, savoury, pencil lead, 18°C
Caramel, vanilla, sweet berries 14%
Barbecued burgers with bacon and caramelized onions
2610 COLPASSO PRIMITIVO, IGP PUGLIA, 2020
Primitivo $ 25.00 $ 150.00
Floral aromas of lavender, blueberries, beeswax with a hint of leather lead to a medium-bodied wine with sour blackberry flavours. Grown on Puglia’s Salento peninsula around Leverano.
2021-2023, M8 D9
blackberry, leather 18°C
blackberries 14%
RESPECT IN THE VINEYARD, COURAGE IN THE WINERY.
Remember when the only Italian wine you could buy was Chianti and you used the beautiful, empty bottle with the wicker wrapping as a candle holder (that bottle is literally known as a 'fiasco')? Whether you can relate to that question or you're too young to picture that setting, the world of wine has changed a lot since then.
As with wine in general, Italian and German wines are so much more diverse and accessible. You'll find a full range of wine styles from Italy and Germany to supplement your favourites.
Sparkling Prosecco is much more than just for celebrations. Italians drink it every day. Have an Eiswein on hand for a Saturday night dessert. Keep a light red like Rosso Veronese around for pizza and pasta. Pull out a Primitivo with your best Bolognese.
Saluti and Prost!
Pairs with anything, celebrations, romance
'84 PROSECCO BRUT, DOC TREVISO, LOT 2628, P31
LIGHT WHITE
White/light fish, sipping on its own
VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI, DOC, CLASSICO, 2020, LOT 2669, WEB EXCLUSIVE
Poultry, mild cheeses, pork
COLPASSO GRILLO, DOC SICILIA, 2020, LOT 2607, P23
Dessert, rich foods like foie gras
STEPP SILVANER EISWEIN, PFALZ, 2018, LOT 2685, P52
Most appetizers, sipping on its own, the back deck
PFLÜGER ROSÉ SAIGNÉE, PFALZ, 2020, LOT 2674, P46
RED
Many pastas, pork, poultry, sipping on its own
ROSSO VERONESE, IGT, MONTIGOLI, 2019, LOT 2648, P35
Versatile; many meats without heavy sauces, casseroles
CORTESE NOSTRU NERELLO MASCALESE, IGP TERRE SICILIANE, ORGANIC WINE, 2020, LOT 2602, P9
Heavy stews, many game meats, lamb, strong cheeses, even dessert
PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA, DOP, 2019, LOT 2638, P18
2612
INTEGRO NEGROAMARO, IGP PUGLIA, ORGANIC WINE, 2020
Negroamaro
$ 25.00 $ 150.00
Integro Negroamaro is a smooth round wine with herbal notes. Aromas of fresh oregano, vermouth, dark fruits and graphite are in abundance with a fresh black fruit finish.
2021-2023, M8 D9
Fresh oregano, vermouth, dark fruit 18°C
Black fruit, graphite 13.5%
2613
INTEGRO PRIMITIVO, IGP PUGLIA, ORGANIC WINE, 2020
Primitivo $ 29.00 $ 174.00 NEW
An intense bouquet with herbal and floral aromas with dried lavender complemented by a nice touch of calf leather and red cherries. It is medium bodied, with fresh red apple flavours followed by a bitter cherry finish. Primitivo was grown around the San Donaci area of Salento and picked in the cool early hours of the morning the last week of August.
Dried lavender, herbs, leather 18°C
Red cherries, apples 14% Fennel-sausage pizza
2615
DEA DEL MARE CATARRATTOPINOT GRIGIO, IGP TERRE SICILIANE, 2020
Catarratto, Pinot Grigio
$ 19.00 $ 228.00
Appealing fresh white fruit aromas with pears and pear drops continue onto the palate. This is a flavoursome white with a lemony finish.
2021-2022, M8 D9
pear drops, white fruits 6°C
[D] 12.5%
Pairing
2616
DEA DEL MARE PINOT GRIGIO, DOC DELLE VENEZIE, ROSÉ, 2020
Pinot Grigio $ 19.00 $ 228.00
A delightful baby-pink colour, it has fresh fruits and sherbet aromas. Light and refreshing with a crisp finish.
2021-2022, M8 D9
Sherbet, fresh fruits 6°C
Red fruits, [D] 12.5%
Chili-basil stir-fry
2614 DEA DEL MARE MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO, DOC, 2020
TRANSPORT YOURSELF TO ITALY WITH THESE POPULAR, DELICIOUS, AFFORDABLE WINES.
Mellow dark fruits, plums and cocoa give lots of appeal. Soft with quite a light mid palate and grainy texture. It has a savoury finish. One of Italy’s most famous DOCs, Montepulciano grapes are grown in the Abruzzo region on the Adriatic coast.
Salsiccia e peperoni
Quince, melon and fresh lemon lead to a soft round wine with good mid-palate weight. It has flavours of peaches and a crisp lemon finish.
hoi sin pork belly
"Spumante" simply means sparkling in Italian. That's why you'll see the charming Moscato d'Asti here along with Prosecco. While most Italian sparkling wines do not need to adhere to strict guidelines, Prosecco is subject to specific DOC and DOCG regulations. Prosecco is the world’s best-selling sparkling wine. In northeastern Italy, the Prosecco DOC in the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Guilia regions is Italy’s largest DOC. At the heart of it, the original area in the hills around Conegliano and Valdobbiadene produces the finest wines, and this small subregion is classified at the highest DOCG level. Prosecco sparkling wines are produced from Glera grapes using the Charmat method – the bubbles are captured from a second fermentation in tank. Up until 2020 only white Prosecco was permitted under DOC rules but following regulation changes, the first Prosecco Rosatos were produced last harvest and are just being launched.
$
A sweet low-alcohol wine (5.5%), Moscato d’Asti is a specialty produced in the Piemonte region; Moscato (Muscat) grapes have been grown around the town of Asti for centuries. The town itself was a Roman encampment and then an economic and political powerhouse in the Middle Ages. Floral and lemon aromas continue onto the palate which is sweet. It can be served as an aperitif or at the end of a meal with dessert.
Boasting intense aromas of fresh apples, melons and pear drops, it has a foaming mousse. The palate is light and fruity, with a smooth texture. Some citrus pith on the finish adds length.
Lots of mousse with a smooth creamy palate, it has subtle aromas of pears and melons followed by flavours of nectarines and lemons.
The Zucchetto estates lies in the hills around Valdobbiadene in the most premium area classified as DOCG. The winery, founded in 1918, is now managed by the second and third generations, Carlo Alberto and his father Paolo. They farm 5.5 hectares of Glera vines in the villages of Sacco and Santo Stefano on steep slopes (30%) at 300 metres. Carlo makes the wines and seeks perfection creating drier styles and keeping them for extended time on lees to add depth.
ZUCCHETTO VALDOBBIADENE, EXTRA DRY, PROSECCO SUPERIORE, DOCG, PAOLO ZUCCHETTO, 2020
Glera
$ 36.00 $ 216.00
Delicious savoury notes of fresh hay and yeast enhance the fruit aromas bringing depth. On the palate, it has nice weight with a fine creamy texture, citrus flavours and a zesty acidity. A serious bubbly perfectly ready for drinking.
yeast, hay 6°C
Citrus, zest, creamy, [SD] 11.5%
DID YOU KNOW?
by Michael Palij MW
If anyone is stunned by Prosecco’s seemingly unstoppable rise in popularity, no one is more bewildered than the producers themselves.
As little as 20 years ago, an air of desperation hung over their vineyards. Production costs were high (mainly labour), yet prices remained stubbornly low with the vast majority destined to ride shotgun with cheap peach purée in a slew of Venice tourist traps. My, how times have changed.
Today, almost half a billion bottles of the stuff find their way around the world. It’s a truly staggering figure and, as sales boomed, it is fair to say that standards slipped. In order to meet overwhelming demand, legislative changes in 2009 upgraded a vast swathe of vineyards from IGT to DOC and simultaneously re-christened the grape as ‘Glera’ in an attempt to eliminate production of copy-cat versions. Right on trend, rosé Prosecco was officially granted DOC status in 2020.
At its best, rosé Prosecco is a delight. Glera’s aromas of apple and pear match well with the strawberry and rhubarb of Pinot. Most versions are usefully drier (the maximum residual sugar is 17 g/L) and on a hot summer’s day it slips down a treat. Regulations, however, remain as relaxed as an Italian suit. 10-15% of the final wine must comprise Pinot Noir grown in the same regions of production. It must be 2019 vintage or younger. The red and white components can be blended in the cellar, and the wine must be aged on its lees for 60 days before release. So far, so innocuous - but two big questions remain.
The first is the sheer scale of the DOC. Prosecco can be made from grapes grown anywhere in both the Veneto (except Verona) and Friuli, a combined vineyard area of nearly 200,000 acres. It is
For lovers of quality sparkling wines, however, help is at hand. The original DOC in 1969 limited production to 15 communes in the townships of Valdobbiadene and Conegliano. By the 19th century the steep slopes and marl soils formed by the river Piave were already famous. To this day, Prosecco from this tiny sub-zone is entitled to a subtle – but crucially important - labelling variant: Prosecco Superiore Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG. Although rosé Prosecco does not yet allow for a DOCG version, it is well worth searching out producers whose white Prosecco merits this higher designation. 2629
unimaginable that the soil and climate could be remotely consistent across a region so vast. The second concern is yields – current legislation permits 135 hl/ ha. Compare this with Grand Cru Burgundy at just 35 hl/ha. Inevitably quality will suffer when the vine is allowed to crop at such excessive levels.
$ 36.00 $ 216.00
Until last harvest only white Prosecco was permitted under DOC regulations, but in 2020 Prosecco Rosato were produced for the first time. Carlo’s first ever rosé is quite deep in colour, with vinous and redcurrant aromas. Produced from a blend of 88% Glera with 12% Pinot Noir. The Pinot was sourced from a small organic farm at altitude – Zucchetto estate is 100% Glera – and Carlo’s challenge was to find a Pinot with the appropriate colour and acidity. It is medium bodied with nice weight and depth and a crisp finish.
The Veneto region in northeast Italy stretches from the shores of Lake Garda in the west, in the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains, towards Venice and the Adriatic Sea. Much of the area is flat terrain with the best wines found in hilly parts. Red Valpolicella and Amarone wines are produced on slopes around Verona; moving eastwards, the town of Soave is known for its dry whites and further eastwards still, the cultivation of Glera to make Prosecco.
MONTIGOLI - CANTINA VALPOLICELLA NEGRAR
Negrar lies in the very heart of the Classico region of Valpolicella surrounded by hilly vineyard sites. Cantina Valpolicella Negrar, originally founded by six local growers, expanded over the years and now covers growers with a total of 700 hectares of vines. Most are cultivated using the traditional “pergola” training system on high trellises. The system helps to shade and protect grapes as they ripen.
2648 ROSSO VERONESE, IGT, MONTIGOLI, 2019
Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella
26.00 $ 156.00
A light- to medium-bodied red with some herbal aromas and redcurrant flavours. Initial green leafy aromas concede to reveal cocoa and black cherries. This is a smooth easy-drinking wine with supple tannins and sour cranberry finish.
2647
VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO SUPERIORE, DOC, MONTIGOLI, 2018
Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella
Appealing cocoa, chocolate and cherry aromas lead to a supple smooth palate. This is a round concentrated wine with a layered texture and nice depth. To produce Ripasso – meaning “repassed” – grapes are picked and fermented at harvest in October. Several months later, in February, the wine is added to the skins and lees leftover from making Amarone: a second fermentation occurs giving the wine more flavour and body. The wine was then matured in oak for nine months.
2646 AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA, DOCG, MONTIGOLI, 2017
Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella $ 55.00 $ 330.00
A hugely characterful Amarone with savoury dark chocolate, smoke, balsamic, oak and cherry aromas all emerging in the glass. It is supple on the palate with nice vanilla flavours and juicy red fruits leading to a mellow woody finish with bitter cherries. The vineyard is located in the heart of the Valpolicella Classica zone on terraced slopes in the hills close to Negrar. Grapes were harvested by hand in the first ten days of October and left to dry for 120 days. Fermentation and an extended maceration of 30 days on skins were followed by aging in large oak casks for 18 months. Due to the concentration of the dried grapes, leftover Amarone skins still contain unfermented sugar and alcohol. These skins can be used to produce Ripasso wines.
Owned by the Delibori and Cristoforetti families, Villa dè Moreschi has several estates around the Veneto region in northeast Italy.
A light refreshing white with fresh lemons, lemon zest, a touch of almond and a crisp acidity. Soave vineyards lie in the hills to the east of the city of Verona. A blend of 80% Garganega with 20% Trebbiano di Soave which is the same as Verdicchio (and not to be confused with Trebbiano di Toscana which is France’s Ugni Blanc).
A refreshing wine with floral rose petal and grapefruit fragrances mixed with lemon and honey. Lugana DOC, at the southern end of Lake Garda, makes white wines based on the Verdicchio grape – here it’s known as Trebbiano di Lugana (and, yes, it’s the same as Trebbiano di Soave). Lugana wines must comprise at least of 90% Verdicchio.
2651 VILLA DÈ MORESCHI BARDOLINO, DOC, 2020
Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone
$ 26.00 $ 156.00
Intense fresh red berry aromas with a touch of white pepper, this is a light-bodied red with lots of appeal. The region lies on the eastern shores of Lake Garda, west of Valpolicella. A blend of Corvina 60%, Rondinella 30%, Corvinone 10%, it is flavoursome and fruity with a sour cranberry and spicy pepper finish and can be served lightly chilled.
DELLA VALPOLICELLA, DOCG, CLASSICO, 2018
Corvina, Rondinella, Corvinone
$ 74.00 $ 444.00
Red apples, cherries and sweet vanilla fruits are hugely appealing. It is quite light on the palate for an Amarone, despite its 15% alcohol. This is an elegant wine with delicious red fruits and lingering sweet cherry flavours. Produced in the traditional Amarone way, Corvina, Rondinella and Corvinone grapes were dried in special “fruttai” rooms for 80-100 days. After a long slow fermentation, the wine – a blend of Corvina 70%, Rondinella 20%, Corvinone 10% – was drawn off the skins and matured in large traditional Slavonian oak casks.
Piemonte in the northwest of Italy has more DOCG wine regions than any other part of the country, the most famous being Barolo. At the foot of the western Alps, it has strong culinary roots and was where the Slow Food movement was founded. Red grape varieties include the late-ripening Nebbiolo, which can be only used to make Barolo; and Barbaresco, Barbera and Dolcetto which ripen earlier. Each grape variety is matched to the appropriate soil and exposition to produce the best wines.
2653 BARBERA D'ALBA, DOC, FRANCO AMOROSO, 2020
$ 28.00 $ 168.00
A medium-bodied wine with cola, dark fruits, spices and graphite aromas. It is tightly knit with a firm acidity, typical of Barbera. The supple mid palate reveals black cherry and smoke flavours with good depth. The Appellation lies around the town of Alba and the surrounding Langhe hills famed for their white truffles.
2654
Black cherry, smoke 13%
Baked greens with Parmesan
TIRTEO BARBERA D'ASTI SUPERIORE, DOCG, TENUTE NEIRANO, 2019
$ 25.00 $ 150.00
A medium- to full-bodied Barbera which has developed some complexity. It is brick ruby in colour with aromas of smoke, undergrowth, cola and vanilla. Intense and savoury flavours of black licorice, cherries and leafy notes lead to a firm chewy finish. Matured in large traditional oak casks.
Roast Guinea fowl
2655
DOLCETTO D'ALBA, DOC, VA BEN, 2020 Dolcetto
Dolcetto d’Alba, one of several DOCs focused on Dolcetto, is considered the most notable. For Va Ben, vines are planted on slopes of calcareous and clay rich soils on sites not suitable for late-ripening varieties but where Dolcetto does well. Bright plum in colour, it has appealing aromas of blackberries and blueberries with mineral notes in the background. It is medium bodied with a textured finish and juicy acidity.
Situated in the small village of Cossano Belbo east of Alba, Terrenostre is a cooperative with 450 hectares in surrounding hills.
Fresh plums, black cherries and blackberries lead to a supple round wine, medium in body. Lots of fresh fruit flavours, supple tannins and sour cherry acidity combine to give structure and balance.
Sausage and lentils
ENJOY PIEMONTE WINES WITH LOCAL FAVOURITES SUCH AS TRUFFLES AND SLOW-COOKED MEATS.
2658
TRUFFLE HUNTER LEDA, BARBARESCO, DOCG, BOSIO
WINERY, 2018
Nebbiolo
$ 46.00 $ 276.00
Quite restrained initially, this wine benefits from some aeration with raisins and succulent fruits emerging. It is medium bodied, tight in structure with mellow vanilla and bitter fruits on the finish. Made purely from Nebbiolo grapes, Barbaresco DOCG lies on the right bank of the Tanaro River on limestone-rich marl soils. Similar in style to Barolo, the climate is slightly warmer, drier and milder. Grapes from Truffle Hunter Barbaresco were grown in Neive and Barbaresco at 200-300 metres. It was matured for 24 months in oak barrels.
2021-2026, M7 D7
Raisins 18°C
Mellow, vanilla fruits, bitter 14%
Pasta with butter and truffles
2659
TRUFFLE HUNTER LEDA, BARBERA D'ALBA, DOC, BOSIO WINERY, 2020
Barbera
$ 31.00 $ 186.00
An oaky wine with intense toast, caramel and pencil shaving aromas over a hint of fruit in the background. More mellow toasty flavours are apparent on the palate, but these will attenuate over time – this was a young barrel sample when tasted – so the blackberry fruits show through.
2021-2025, M7 D8
pencil shavings 18°C
oak, sour fruit 14%
Owned by the Bosio family, the winery in Santo Stefano Belbo is run by Valter Bosio who farms around 200 hectares of vineyard. Valter is a lover of, and expert in, the local winter pastime – the hunt for white truffles – and named his wines after his four-legged companion and fellow truffle hunter, Leda.
Purchased by the Bera family in 2014, Roche winery at Neviglie, east of Alba, consists of 30 hectares of vineyards in nearby regions mainly Barolo, Barbaresco and Barbera. It was established in the 1970s by Raffaele Ferrero.
DON'T MISS PREMIUM WINES FROM THIS PRODUCER ON PAGE 55.
Plums, sour berries and herbal aromas lead to a supple palate which is fine in texture. This is a smooth medium-bodied wine with crunchy dark berry fruits and lingering bitter cherry flavours. Grapes were picked between the second and third week of September, de-stemmed, crushed and fermented with a short maceration on skins.
38.00 $ 228.00
Deep purple in colour, it has ripe brambly fruit and blackcurrants. It is concentrated with a tight structure and fine texture.
Translucent brick ruby, it has earthy aromas with musk and some floral notes which open up with some aeration to reveal mellow fruits. It is quite light mid palate with tannins emerging to a bitter fruit finish and perfectly ready for drinking over the next few years. Matured in oak for 12 months.
Youthful aromas of blackberries, cherries, sage and some coconut give lots of appeal. On the palate, it is rich and round with cherry menthol flavours. It is structured and well balanced. Nebbiolo grapes were harvested by hand into wooden baskets; after fermentation, the wine was aged in small oak barrels for 24 months.
This single vineyard wine comes from Serraboella, a subregion within the Barbaresco area in southern Neive. Vines are planted on a hill 240-320 metres facing west that gently bends to the south becoming steeper on white clay, sandstone soils. Red cherries and woodlands aromas lead to a supple palate, quite light in the middle followed by some grippy tannins. It has sweet and bitter fruit flavours and is succulent with a bitter cherry finish.
Pfalz is currently one of Germany's most exciting regions. A new generation of winemakers is shaking off past bad habits, where high yields were used to make insipid sweet wines with “belts-and-braces” levels of sulphites. These new wines are fresh, the whites drier in style and the reds, in particular Pinot Noir, gaining in stature.
Alex Pflüger farms 30 hectares of vines in and around Bad Dürkheim in the Pfalz region. His father was a pioneer of organic farming in Germany. Alex has gone a step further. Driven by a desire to make wines in harmony with nature, he practices biodynamic viticulture and is Demeter certified. A rare species indeed – only 145 hectares out of more than 23,000 in the Pfalz are biodynamically farmed.
PRODUCER FOR THIS CELLAR
WELCOME ALEX PFLÜGER BACK TO THE OPIMIAN FAMILY!
2671 PFLÜGER CHARDONNAY QUARZIT, PFALZ, 2020
Chardonnay
$ 36.00 $ 216.00
A savoury Chardonnay with a hint of white fruits and yeasty bread dough notes. Subtle bready flavours with a touch of residual sugar on the palate. Chardonnay grapes from several vineyards around Bad Dürkheim on quartzite soils produce a delicate wine with mineral character.
2672 PFLÜGER SAUVIGNON BLANC QUARZIT, PFALZ, 2020
Sauvignon Blanc
Deliciously flavoursome with aromas of blackcurrant pastilles and white peaches. It is medium bodied with a crystalline structure and a sour tart finish, offset by a touch of residual sweetness.
2673 PFLÜGER PINOT NOIR BUNTSANDSTEIN, PFALZ, 2019
2674 PFLÜGER ROSÉ SAIGNÉE, PFALZ, 2020
Regent, Dornfelder
$ 36.00 $ 216.00
Better than many similar priced Burgundies, this is a medium-bodied Pinot Noir with aromas of red fruits, cherries, smoke and Ribena. It has a soft silky texture with nice fruit mid palate. Pinot Noir was grown on red sandstone soils known as “Buntsandstein.”
$ 30.00 $ 180.00
Quite intense salmon colour with red fruit and winey aromas. Rather broad on the palate, with some sweetness showing through, finishing with sour cranberry and tangy cherry flavours. Produced from equal parts Regent and Dornfelder, the grapes were picked and the juice left to macerate on skins for a few hours before pressing.
Käsekuchen and fresh fruit
$
PFLÜGER FUCHSMANTEL RIESLING, PFALZ, 2019
Riesling
The single vineyard Fuchsmantel is characterized by sandstone terraces with small plots planted to old Riesling vines looking out over the Rhine plain. The 2019 has spicy notes with mandarin aromas. On the palate, more white fruits emerge with fresh apple and a nice mid-palate weight. Grapes were handpicked, fermented by wild yeast and the wine left for extended time on yeast lees.
TWO BOTTLES EACH FUCHSMANTEL, MICHELSBERG & SPIELBERG
PFLÜGER MICHELSBERG RIESLING, PFALZ, 2019
More developed Riesling characters are on show with savoury earthy aromas, resin and a hint of petrol (in a good way). On the palate, it has sour lime flavours with good depth and a marked acidity ceding to lingering flavours of honeysuckle and fruit. Michelsberg is a Grand Cru vineyard with deep limestone soils – and it shows in the structure of this wine. Grapes underwent 12-hour skin contact prior to fermentation and 30% was fermented in oak barrels –although I didn’t pick up any oak character.
PFLÜGER SPIELBERG RIESLING, PFALZ, 2019 Riesling
Planted in the 1970s by Alex’s father, Spielberg vineyard has limestone soils beneath a thin layer of red sandstone. The wine is bright in colour with lots of spicy baked apple aromas and savoury notes. Firm on the palate, it has flavours of yellow plums, grapefruit and sour lime with nice mid-palate weight and a tight crisp finish.
STEPP RIESLING, PFALZ, 2020, LOT 2680, P51
PFLÜGER SINGLE CRU CASE, LOT 2675, P47
by Barbara Philip MW
Of all the grape varieties in the world, Riesling makes the most diverse range of exciting wine. Stunning Rieslings can be sparkling, still and dry, still and sweet, or lusciously botrytis-affected.
At its best, Riesling reflects the terroir in which it was grown, gains incredible complexity with age and demonstrates an electric tension between fruit and acid on the palate. No country celebrates Riesling or succeeds in all of styles like Germany, where the still wines, in particular, capture the characteristics of the vineyards from which they come.
Riesling is at is most delicate in the northwest of Germany, where the light bodied, sweet and tangy wines of the Mosel region are an international classic. When they are young, the fruit is vibrant with crunchy apple, white flowers and citrus. As the wines age, they gain nuances including toast, lemon petrol and potpourri. In recent decades, a changing climate has meant riper grapes in the area and drier, more full-bodied wines are something for wine lovers to watch for.
Regions along the Rhein river (Rheingau, Nahe, Rheinhessen and Pfalz) tend to produce Riesling with more stone fruit and less zippy citrus than their Mosel counterparts. Acidity is still high, though, and the balance between ripe delicious fruit and a firm palate means the wines can sing. The dry wines often need time to express themselves as they can be remarkably austere when young. Even at this point, however, you can imagine the brooding layers of fruit waiting to be coaxed out with time in the bottle. Your reward is some of the most complex wine on earth.
Of the Rhein regions, the Pfalz is singled out for its ability to ripen grapes (and other fruit) with a precision and generosity unique to its sunny climate. Even in their youth, the wines can be open and layered. Both sweet and dry versions reflect Riesling’s breadth of flavours and it is quite possible to find quince, pear, mineral, apricot, smoke, sweet herbs, apple blossom, candied orange zest all in the same glass. These wines also have the power to age and, incredibly, become even more complex.
The great thing about having a case of German Riesling is that you can enjoy a bottle now and revisit the wine to see how it progresses with age. Each wine is a new adventure with a guaranteed delicious outcome.
Barbara Philip MW was the first Master of Wine in western Canada and is currently Category Manager for European Wines at BC Liquor Stores. With her husband Iain and their company, Barbariain Wine Consulting, Barb works as an international presenter, radio columnist and judge.
Gewürztraminer
$ 41.00 $ 246.00
Deliciously exotic without being over the top, I first tasted the 2019 and was disappointed to learn it was no longer available. And then I tasted the 2020 sample that Alex dispatched to me at great haste – the same exotic scent of honeysuckle, citrus, rose –this is a distinctive wine, flavoursome and elegant at the same time.
Savoury aromas of forest floor and woodland spices are followed by flavours of dark fruits, plums and smoke. It is medium to full bodied with a grippy acidity and tannin and is a blend of St. Laurent, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon. After wild yeast fermentation, the wine was matured in French oak barrels for 24 months.
Grilled Portobello mushrooms on spaetzle 2678
Intense oak aromas of pencil lead, cloves and smoke lie over a floral and red fruit background. On the palate, it is supple and smooth with a fine texture, displaying flavours of vanilla, smoke and red berries, and a slightly austere finish. Matured for 12 months in used oak barrels, the oak nevertheless is very present.
A supple well-balanced wine, it was not very expressive at the time of tasting but shows good promise. Some flinty aromas are followed by flavours of white fruits, sour apple and sherbet. It is well balanced with persistent fresh apple flavours.
Gerd Stepp was raised in the family vineyard in Pfalz spending his childhood helping his parents work the vines and pick grapes at harvest time. No wonder he grew up to become a winemaker. Before taking over the reins of the family winery, Gerd made wines in many places around the world – some of them quite unusual such as Namibia and Zimbabwe – and he continues to make wine each year in Argentina.
$ 222.00
A huge hit: this is a mediumto full-bodied Pinot Noir with delicious oaky character. Aromas of charred toast and vanilla cream lie over a forest-berry fruit background, giving it an overall savoury character. On the palate, some chocolate mingles with dark fruits leading to bitter cherries. The oak is apparent with a lovely combination of toast and fruit and some grip on the finish.
2683 STEPP GEWÜRZTRAMINER, PFALZ, 2020
Gewürztraminer $ 30.00 $ 180.00
A harmonious wine with delicate rose-petal aromas, Turkish delight and lemon, it is elegant with a long lingering finish. To achieve this fresh delicate style, Gewürztraminer grapes were grown at a vineyard on alluvial soil with clay, sand and gravel. The vine’s natural vigour is naturally curtailed, producing less leaves and exposing grapes to the sun.
2680 STEPP RIESLING, PFALZ, 2020 Riesling $ 32.00 $ 192.00
Fennel, aniseed and green apple lead to more green apple and sour lime flavours on the palate. It has nice mid-palate weight followed by crystalline acidity giving balance and length. Riesling grapes came from two vineyard sites: Herxheim am Berg and Bad Dürkheim.
2686 CRAFT 3 MALBEC, MENDOZA, ARGENTINA, 2020
Deep in colour, this Malbec has aromas of dark fruits, fresh herbs and nuts. This is a medium-bodied wine which is dense and supple. It has a fine powdery texture with raisin flavours and a bitter cherry finish. Gerd Stepp worked in Argentina at vintage for many years before creating a wine under his own name, inspired by the high-altitude vineyards in Chacayes and Tupungato in the Uco Valley that he came across whilst on his daily run. 2020 Craft 3 Malbec underwent a cold maceration then fermentation using indigenous and selected yeast. It was kept on fine lees and shipped to Germany where Gerd matured and bottled it.
Extremely pale in colour, this wine has sherbet and fresh red fruit aromas. It is soft on the palate with sweet fruit flavours leading to a crisp cranberry acidity. Deliciously balanced with a creamy texture. Made using the saignée method, Pinot Noir juice was left in contact with grape skins for a few hours – then 10% of the juice was drawn off to produce this rosé, with the balance making more concentrated red wine.
Delicate floral and creamy custard aromas lead to a sweet wine, syrupy in texture with white fruits, fresh lemon and apple flavours. To produce Eiswein, grapes were picked when the berries froze at below -70C. Climate change means that temperatures this low are less common in the Pfalz than they used to be. Grapes for this 2018 Eiswein were picked during the full moon in January 2019. The vineyard at Herxheim am Berg is on the slopes of the Haardt Mountains at 220 metres. 25% was matured in French oak barrels for eight months.
STEPP RIESLING VOM KÖNIGSWINGERT (WACHENHEIMER) - SINGLE CRU, PFALZ, 2020
Riesling
A smooth supple Riesling with fresh apple, lime and ripe white fruit aromas. A touch of residual sweetness is countered with balancing acidity. Königswingert, meaning “King’s Vineyard,” is a single Cru with mineral rich soils of alluvial stones and plenty of sandstones. It has got rich and deep subsoils where roots can find water and nutrients – which gives the wine an excellent elegance and a fine structure.
STEPP RIESLING VOM FUCHSMANTEL (BAD DURKHEIM) - SINGLE CRU, PFALZ, 2020
Riesling 2021-2023, M8 D9
Mineral in style rather than fruit aromas, it has a flinty character. On the palate sour yellow plum, apple and lemon flavours come out. A wine with substance and structure. The Stepp vineyard is located on the lower part of the Fuchsmantel site. Grapes were hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed and fermented with selected yeast. The wine remained “sur lie” for four months.
THREE BOTTLES EACH KÖNIGSWINGERT & FUCHSMANTEL
RARE FINDS TO ENHANCE YOUR CELLAR
FROM ROCHE VINI BERA DI BERA VALTER
A refined and powerful wine, it has a bouquet with almonds, bitter cherries, red apples and a touch of lavender. The palate is rich and supple with dark fruit flavours combined with vanilla and raisins. It is smooth with a grainy texture and lingering bitter cherry finish. Matured in oak for 36 months, it is delicious to drink now and will continue to mature for (at least!) another ten years. 2015 was an exceptional vintage. After a cold snowy winter and rainy spring, temperatures were the hottest on record in July.
The mellow bouquet has spicy oak, vanilla, cherries and cola elements which all follow through onto the palate. A wine with great poise between delicious fruit and oak flavours. Barolo, in the Langhe hills to the southwest of the city of Alba, is a complex myriad of hills facing every which way with steep slopes rising to 320 metres.
Please visit Opimian.ca for your province's pricing on these wines.
2632 ARGILLAE ORVIETO, DOC, SUPERIORE, 2020
Grechetto, Trebbiano, Malvasia, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
$ WEB $ WEB
From Umbria’s most famous wine region, Orvieto, this is a light crisp white produced from a blend of five grapes.
Sangiovese, Merlot
$ WEB $ WEB NEW
A medium-bodied wine with a succulent palate of dark fruits and mineral notes. It is much more shy on the nose showing just a whiff of minerality. Produced from a blend of 60% Sangiovese, 40% Merlot, it is well balanced with bitter chocolate finish.
2668 LE CIMATE MONTEFALCO ROSSO, DOC, 2017
Sangiovese, Sagrantino, Tannat, Refosco $
Spicy aromas with some undergrowth and cooked plummy fruits in the background lead to a round palate. Produced from an interesting blend of 60% Sangiovese, 20% Sagrantino, 10% Tannat, 10% Refosco: it is dense, medium to full bodied and well structured.
Spaghetti and pork-veal-beef meat-balls
2669
VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI, DOC, CLASSICO, 2020
Verdicchio
$ WEB $ WEB
In the Marche region in central Italy, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico is in the heart of the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi region restricted to land on the north bank of the Misa River. This has restrained fresh apple aromas with a refreshing acidity making it light and easy drinking.
2670 PONTEMAGNO ROSSO PICENO, DOC, 2020
Sangiovese, Montepulciano
$ WEB $ WEB
A blend of 50% Sangiovese and 50% Montepulciano, it has woody aromas of fresh bark. It is well balanced with nice depth and structure, albeit not hugely expressive. Medium bodied with some bitter cherries on the finish.
apple
Crisp, spritzy, refreshing, [D]
Steamed mussels with white wine broth
Spicy chicken cacciatore
2633
COLLE TICCHIO CESANESE DEL PIGLIO, DOCG, CORTE DEI PAPI, 2020
Cesanese
Deep in colour with savoury meaty aromas with nuts, it is supple and smooth on the palate. Produced just south of Rome, from Cesanese grapes, it is fine in texture with good concentration and depth.
2619 INDESIO PINOT GRIGIO, DOC DELLE VENEZIE, 2020
Pinot Grigio
$ WEB $ WEB
Subtle spring fragrance of blossoms with lemon, it is easy drinking with lemon, fresh apple and a pithy citrus zest and a crisp finish.
2620 PEMO MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO, DOC, 2020
Montepulciano
Fabulous for the price, it has intense aromas of cherries and crushed red fruits. It is smooth with more red fruit flavours, bitter cherry and floral notes that continue to linger in the mouth.
C280: Burgundy Pinot Noir, Australia & New Zealand
Opens November 10, 2020
Last day to order: December 14, 2020
Mail form by: December 1, 2020
Expected release: Spring 2021
C281: Tuscany & South Africa
Opens December 15, 2020
Last day to order: January 18, 2021
Mail form by: January 4, 2021
Expected release: Early Summer 2021
C282: Alsace, Argentina & Chile
Opens January 19, 2021
Last day to order: February 22, 2021
Mail form by: February 8, 2021
Expected release: Summer 2021
C283: Rhône, Champagne & Burgundy White Wines
Opens February 23, 2021
Last day to order: March 29, 2021
Mail form by: March 15, 2021
Expected release: Late Summer 2021
C284: Spain
Opens March 30, 2021
Last day to order: May 3, 2021
Mail form by: April 19, 2021
Expected release: Early Fall 2021
C285: Bordeaux, Bergerac & Beaujolais
Opens May 4, 2021
Last day to order: June 7, 2021
Mail form by: May 21, 2021
Expected release: Fall 2021
C286: Piemonte, Veneto, Italy & Germany
Opens June 8, 2021
Last day to order: July 12, 2021
Mail form by: June 28, 2021
Expected release: Early Winter 2022
C287: Provence, Loire, Corsica & Languedoc-Roussillon
Opens July 13, 2021
Last day to order: August 16, 2021
Mail form by: July 30, 2021
Expected release: Early Winter 2022
C288: Portugal, California, Oregon & Austria
Opens August 17, 2021
Last day to order: September 20, 2021
Mail form by: September 3, 2021
Expected release: Winter 2022
Fall Online Offering: September 21 - October 11, 2021
CWEB21 Online Offering: October 12 - November 8, 2021
If you have any questions or want to order, contact us: MemberService@opimian.ca or 1 800 361-9421
Red - White - Rosé - Sparkling - Port/Dessert - Spirit
Bottle size
Number of bottles in case
Aroma
Taste
Serving temperature
Percent of alcohol1
Ideal with
Evolution
Drink this year Will develop, drink within 2 years Meant for cellaring
Concentration Light - Medium - Great Oak Light - Medium - Heavy
Limited quantity Organic2
Vegetarian2
Let yourself be inspired by Opimian’s Master of Wine, Jane Masters MW, and her detailed descriptions included in the Cellar Offering. Our custom chart on the reverse side features a list of symbols to help guide your selection.
Still unsure which wines to order? Contact us!
There are four ways to order. The last day to order for each Cellar Offering can be found listed on the reverse. No orders will be processed after this time.
Full name
Member no.
Payment Methods
l Cheque
l Use of wine credits
l Use credit card on file. Please go to your dashboard at Opimian.ca to update your credit card on file or contact Member Service.
How can we reach you if we have questions on your order? Telephone:
The wines featured on this Cellar Offering are still at the producers’ wineries when you order them, so it is normal that the process takes a bit of time and effort on our side.
Release dates are dependent upon actual arrival dates, distance from port of entry to liquor board and processing time required by each liquor board. For this Cellar Offering, the expected release date is listed on the reverse.
Once the wine arrives at your local liquor store or distribution centre, you will receive a Pick-up Notice with the specified date (the Release Date) and your pick-up location.
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Conditions of Purchase
• Accepted payment methods: Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express), wine credits or cheque payable to Opimian.
• Prices include all applicable federal and provincial markups and taxes.
• A valid membership card is required to order.
• Bottle prices are for reference only. In the case of any price discrepancy between printed materials and the website, the price published on the website prevails.
• All orders are by the case, with no minimum required.
Notes, as required by the law in the Province of Quebec
• A member ordering from this Cellar Offering requests that Opimian acts as the member’s agent in ordering the wines from the Société des Alcools du Québec (SAQ) and requests that Opimian remits the funds enclosed (minus any administration fees) to the SAQ to pay for the wines ordered.
• The prices as shown are the estimated costs to be charged by the SAQ plus an administration fee and consolidation charges.
Notes, as required by the law in the Province of Alberta
• All purchase transactions are completed pursuant to the laws in the Province of Alberta and are between you as the customer and Rocky Mountain Wine, Spirits & Beer (“Rocky Mountain”), an independent third party of Opimian Society (“Opimian”). All charges will appear on your credit card statement as Rocky Mountain.
• You hereby acknowledge and agree that your dealings with Rocky Mountain which are not related to an Opimian purchase, including payment and all other terms, conditions, representations and warranties related to such transaction, whether implied by law or by expressed agreement between you and Rocky Mountain, are solely between you and Rocky Mountain and not Opimian. You hereby acknowledge that Opimian is not responsible or liable for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of, or in connection with, or a resulting transaction, and you hereby release and waive any claims you may have against Opimian in connection thereof.
CHECK OUT OUR LARGEST SELECTION OF WEB EXCLUSIVE WINES YET!
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2632
ARGILLAE ORVIETO, DOC, SUPERIORE, 2020
INDESIO PINOT GRIGIO, DOC DELLE VENEZIE, 2020
2668
300-2170 RENÉ-LÉVESQUE WEST MONTREAL QC H3H 2T8 OPIMIAN.CA
COLLE TICCHIO CESANESE DEL PIGLIO, DOCG, CORTE DEI PAPI, 2020
VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI, DOC, CLASSICO, 2020 LOT 2619
LOT 2620
COUP DE COEUR - PEMO MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO, DOC, 2020
LE CIMATE VIGNAFANTE, IGT ROSSO UMBRIA, 2019
NEW - LE CIMATE MONTEFALCO ROSSO, DOC, 2017 LOT 2670
PONTEMAGNO ROSSO PICENO, DOC, 2020
