Opimian is a Canadian nonprofit wine purchasing cooperative based in Montreal, Quebec. Established in 1973, the wine club was created by a quartet of British-born Canadians who felt that the selection of wines available in Canada was a poor representation of the quality of wines available worldwide. [1] [2]
Marketed as “Canada’s largest wine club,” Opimian has grown since its inception, now acting as Canada's largest wine buying group with 20,000 members (and growing). [3] [4]
The name “Opimian” derives from the Roman consul, Lucius Opimius, who discovered the famous 121 BC vintage and gave it only to discriminating wine connoisseurs. [5] Like Lucius Opimius, Opimian sources premium wines on behalf of their members. A purchasing co-operative, they access the diversity of the world's wines within the constraints of the government monopolies and controls. [2]
Opimian is divided into 27 regions, called Opimian Chapters, across Canada, each with a volunteer representative called an Area Representative. The volunteers organize local tastings and create a “social dimension to membership.” [5]
Opimian's mandate is to provide wine education. In March 2008, the board of directors voted to make a donation to the Niagara College Foundation. The donation was made in two parts – a $20,000 Scholarship, titled “The Opimian Society Scholarship” and a $30,000 donation toward the building of the Wine Education Center. [6] The Opimian Society Scholarship was received by one person in 2009 and two people in 2010 and 2011.
Liquor boards and consumers have used Opimian as a de facto test market for new brands. Spain's Freixenet, Australia's Rosemount Estate and Scotland's The Macallan all started out as Opimian selections before becoming mainstays in the Canadian market. Opimian is a quietly influential national wine-buying club that has aided in sophisticating the adult-drink trade in Canada. [1]
Ten times a year, members receive catalogues of the wines offered by Opimian. The catalogues are referred to as “Cellar Offerings” and feature different regions. [7]
This is marketed as an educational guide that will provide members with information on wine regions, grapes, vineyards and winemakers; the vehicle for their tasting notes, food pairing tips and cellaring advice. [7] Graphic charts instruct the reader on proper serving temperatures and storage life for the wine. [2] All Opimian wines are sourced by a Master of Wine, Opimian's wine consultant. The Master of Wine is responsible for selecting each of the wines offered, sourcing new suppliers, [2] providing tasting notes, Maturity & Drinkability ratings and answering any wine related questions from members. The wines offered are not available anywhere else in Canada, [3] thus one does not see mainstream, well-known or documented brands. Foreknowledge of purchases is further constrained by a lack of independent ratings and reviews for the wines. [8]
Opimian has always co-operated with local alcohol monopolies. [5] All Opimian wines are officially imported and cleared by the respective liquor boards in each province, ensuring that all taxes and liquor mark ups are included in the pricing. [8] Members order wine, which is then purchased on their behalf through the liquor boards and distributed through the Liquor Board stores and warehouses. [4]
Members pay an annual fee of $69 + applicable taxes, depending on their province. [3] Benefits include;
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