'middleroad'betweenCali’sturbo-chargedbeastsand
FourCenturiesintheGlass
ByMichaelPalijMW
Thisis,somewhatincredibly,the367thyear thatSouthAfricahasbeenmakingwine.
Itisalegacynearlyasoldasthehills;onlythehillswinbecause theStellenboschsoilsareatleast250millionyearsold.Ithasn't beensmoothsailingforfourcenturies:war,apartheid,drought, andviolencehaveallcontributedtoaviticulturalcruciblethat,
Intheearly1970s,producerssuchasSimonsig,supportedby theemerging‘WineofOrigin’scheme,introducedtheworldto whatStellenboschhadtooffer.Notonlyisthisthebirthplaceof CapClassique(nowanationaltreasure),butitisalsoaregion thatdeliversworld-classCabernetSauvignon.Doesitget better?Possibly,possiblynot.Stellenboschisthatirresistible
members,includingTheHighRoadandMilesMossop'snew gig.AndwhataboutNewDawn,thebabyofformerStarkCondéwinemakerRüdgervanWyk?Heisapastmasterwith bothCheninandCabernet.Tryhisapproachableblendsand trynottobeblownawaybytheirunbelievablevalue. We’reonaroll.Krispelisaverygoodplacetostartforthose whodrinkAnythingButRed.Thisisafamily-runAustrian winerywithstrongsustainablecredentials,producingwines thatthegoverningbodydescribesas‘outstanding’. Incasewithdrawalsymptomsfromtheclassicsaresettingin, thisisalsotheBordeauxissue,featuringChâteauSéraphine (Pomerol)andClosCantenac(Saint-Émilion),thehottest propertiesintown.Don’tlooknow,butwehavesecured magnumsanddoublemagnumsofClosCantenac,soyou withtheirepicquality.
Founder’sChoiceisasix-bottle programfeaturingapremiumredwine andcellaringpotential.Thesewinesare chosenforbalance,structure,and layingdownforthefuture.
TheMastersCasealsoincludessix bottles,butofferstwobottleseachof threedifferentwines.Selectedby Opimian’sMastersofWine,it highlightsdiverseexpressionsfroma singleproducerorregion,showcasing depth,contrast,andcraftsmanship.
EverythingButRedrespondsto growingMemberinterestinwhites andothernon-redstyles.Each offeringincludesacaseofpremium winesthatarefresh,vibrant,and versatile—idealforentertainingor Joiningissimple.Ensureyourpaymentdetailsareuptodate,thenvisityourdashboardat
NatashaHughesMWisaninternationally respectedMasterofWine,awardedthe titlein2014withfourprizes,including theOutstandingAchievementAward.A formerDecanterdeputyeditor,sheisnow TheWines ofBeaujolais(2025),aninternationalwine memberoftheInstituteofMastersofWine.
CHÂTEAUHAUT POUGNAN,AOC 2024,LOT6070,P20
SIMONSIGPICK OFTHEBUNCH PINOTAGE, STELLENBOSCH, 2024,LOT6046,P9
KRISPELSTRADEN SAUVIGNONBLANC, VULKANLAND STEIERMARKDAC, 2024,LOT6052,P14
SIMONSIGTIARA, STELLENBOSCH,2020, LOT6048,P9
NEWDAWNBY RÜDGERVANWYK RED,WESTERN CAPE,2024, LOT6095,P10
LADEVINEDUCLOS CANTENAC,AOC GRANDCRU,2024, LOT6097,P2
MichaelPalijMWisaCanadian-born, internationallyrecognizedMasterofWine. Anentrepreneurwithadeeppassion forItalianwines,hebringsdecadesof experienceworkingcloselywithleading Italianproducersandhasplayedakeyrolein curatingmanyofOpimian’smostacclaimed Italianofferings.
AustriaFindsItsVoice
ByMichaelPalij,MW
Attheturnofthe21stcentury,Austriasuffered fromanidentitycrisis.
Theregionswerenotenshrinedinlaw,andthereputationof thegrapevarietieswasnotalwayscertain.Perhapswithan eyeontheirneighbours,Germany,whereRieslinghad sufferedamostunbecomingfateafteritsassociationwith Liebfraumilch,theauthoritiesdecidedthatasystemmore akintoFrance’sAppellationd'OrigineContrôléewouldbea saferbet.In2003,theDAC(DistrictusAustriaeControllatus) systemwaslaunched.
DACisanintegralpartofatwo-tierconcepttiedtoa
Austrianregions:Bergland,Niederösterreich,Burgenland, Steiermark,andWein.Theseare,ifyoulike,theparent regionsofAustrianwineproduction,whicharethenfurther subdividedinto18DACs,eachranginginsizefrom500to 25,000acres.TheDAC'sintroductionhasnotbeena wholesaleoperationbutaslowevolution,withnewregions
appearingonanongoingbasisoverthelast20yearsasthey adoptedtheDACfundamentals. elsewhereinEurope,butafarcryfromKabinett,Spätlese,et al.Thegoal,ofcourse,istostrengthenthebrand“Austria”by highlightingthestrikingregionaldifferencesinclimate,soil, muchasnational–success.
Andhasitbeenasuccess?Therecanbenodoubtthat Austrianwinetodayisbetterthaniteverhasbeen.Established DACswithastrongreputation(Wachau,forinstance)are havingapositiverippleeffectonnewerones,suchasthe VulkanlandSteiermarkDAC,whereKrispelisbased. Establishedin2018,Vulkanlandisknownforitsvibrant culinarysceneanditshilltopcastles.Theredsare marketedunderthewider‘Steiermark’designationof origin,asarethewhitesthatfalloutsideofDAC regulations.Mostofthewinessharesimilarcharacteristics, includingrefinedaromatics.Austrianwines unquestionablydeserveawideraudience,and,DACorno DAC,theirpurityandintensityareworthadetourfrom ChablisandSancerre.
