De Martino Snags Top Honor from Wines of Chile
De Martino was chosen as “Winery of the Year” at the 9th Annual Wines of Chile Awards held on November 17th at Casas de Lo Matta in Santiago, Chile. Unique methods of wine production coupled with their commitment to decreasing their carbon footprint were determining factors in selecting De Martino for this important award. “We have always sought the highest standard of quality for our wines, but have never compromised our deep respect for the vineyards and their surrounding environments,” commented Marco Antonio De Martino, Commercial Manager at the winery.
One of the largest organic wine producers in Chile, De Martino was the first certified carbon-neutral winery in South America. Their commitment to preserving their land includes measuring their water usage to reduce their environmental impact and producing wines that accurately represent Chile’s uniqueness.
Chief Winemaker, Marcelo Retamal, is constantly searching for new and exciting terroirs. “Being recognized as ‘Winery of the Year’ is a great incentive for all of us at De Martino, as it motivates us to continue our quest for innovation and, above all, to produce wines which accurately represent their place of origin,” stated Retamal. As a result of their continuous experimentation, they have become specialists in the cultivation of high altitude vineyards in the Andes mountain range, such as those in the Choapa and Elqui Valleys. It has also challenged itself to restore old vineyards in the Maule Valley.
Family-owned since it was founded in 1934, De Martino has been a pioneer in South American winemaking, being the first to accomplish many feats. From its certification as carbon-neutral to bottling Carmenere in its purity. They continue to strive for more without sacrificing their principles.
A “Homemade” Meal
There is nothing quite like “Homemade,” both when it comes to food and wine. Although it pays homage to the art of home winemaking, Opici Homemade Barberone is a one and only. Since it debuted, it quickly became the staple everyday table wine of many households. Considering the strong connection between food and wine, it seems only natural that this longtime favorite make the transition from bottle to dish. So how about some “Homemade” pasta to go along with that glass of Barberone tonight? But there’s no need to start rolling out dough. Check out this recipe which actually calls for pasta to be COOKED in Opici Homemade Barberone. Who else’s stomach is growling?
Opici Homemade Barberone Spaghetti with Tomatoes & Peppers
750 mL (1 bottle) Opici Homemade Barberone 
1 lb spaghetti
2 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, smashed
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
8-10 grape tomatoes, halved
1 tblsp basil, roughly chopped
1 tblsp parsley, chopped
Salt, to taste
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt.
In a saucepan, sauté garlic in oil. Add red pepper flakes & chopped bell pepper. Cook until tender. Toss together with tomatoes, basil, and parsley.
Cook the pasta in the boiling, salted water for about 4 minutes. Drain the pasta, saving some of the water for the sauce. Return pasta to pot and add 1 bottle of Opici Homemade Barberone. Cook the pasta in the wine until al dente. Although the wine should be almost completely absorbed by the pasta, drain excess.
Add the pasta to the saucepan with some of the saved pasta water. Quickly toss on medium heat (less than 1 minute). Add grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to taste and serve hot. Serves 4.
Recipe submitted by Giovanna Lanza-Centola.
Three Times as Sweet
The season of cool temperatures, gift-giving, and lots of sweets is quickly approaching. And Opici Wines has got you covered this Holiday season with two new flavors of Cocoa di Vine Chocolate Wine: Chocolate Cherry and Chocolate Espresso! This decadent chocolaty treat with a slight kick is sure to warm your insides. And it makes the perfect gift!
Whether you remain loyal to the original Chocolate, or try one of the new additions, you absolutely cannot go wrong. Cocoa di Vine is available in stores nationwide. Be prepared for the festivities by picking up a few bottles at your local liquor store today.
Meet Ramona Singer!
In between watching Ramona Singer on episodes of Real Housewives of New York City, you have the opportunity to meet her in person!
Ramona is currently traveling the country to meet fans of her Ramona Singer Pinot Grigio. She’s already been to Florida, Chicago, Texas, Virginia and California. A portion of the proceeds from each appearance are donated to local charities, so purchase a signed bottle to support a good cause.
Check back often to see if she’s headed to your area next!
2012 Schedule
Date: Feb 18th
Time: 5:00pm – 6:30pm
Location: Total Wine, Miami, FL (Pinecrest)
8851 SW 136th Street
Miami, FL 33176
(305) 971-7615
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Want to partake in turtle time? Follow the link below to find out where you can purchase Ramona Singer Pinot Grigio.
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Questions? Suggestions? Email info@opici.com. And don’t forget to “LIKE” Ramona Singer Pinot Grigio on Facebook.
Don’t Let Screwcaps Scare You
It used to be that a wine with a screw top was considered “cheap” and/or inferior to those stopped with corks. And though some studies suggest that wines tend to age better when a cork is used to seal a bottle, the truth is that the enclosure used has no effect on wines that will be opened and enjoyed within a year of bottling — and that accounts for at least 90% of all the wine consumed in the USA. Because of this, and the fact that screwcaps (a.k.a., stelvin enclosures) are simply more convenient and immune to “cork taint” (2,4,6-Trichloroanisole, or “TCA”), we are seeing many, many wine bottles that don’t require a corkscrew — at all price points, and for all quality levels.
A number of bottles in the Opici Wines portfolio are enclosed with screwcaps, and one of them — Due Torri Pinot Noir — was recently highlighted as #3 on Wisebread’s list of 10 Great Wines Under 10 Dollars:
Due Torri Pinot Noir 2009 (Italy)
Don’t be fooled by the screw top; this wine can compete with any of its corked counterparts. Dry and soft, this wine loves pesto or a rare steak. It has a velvety texture and an oaky finish that is perfectly balanced and easy going down. Though slightly higher in price, this wine is well worth the money.
Indeed, Due Torri Pinot Noir is one of the best bargains in Pinot Noir you’ll find, and it stays true to the varietal’s fresh and easygoing character. Due Torri is a secondary brand produced by Cesari — the winery best known for its fabulous Amarone wines.
Virtual Trip to Grand Renom
This spring, Opici Wines added Bordeaux wines to the portfolio, including those from a house known as Château Grand Renom.
Grand Renom has barely been in the country for more than a few weeks, but already people are taking notice — and writing about it.
Last week, Grand Renom was featured in a blog post on Tuta’s Wines. Tuta’s Wine is a site devoted to regional wines — wines with history and a sense of locality. The blogger writes only about wines that he likes and would bring home again. So as you might guess, the post includes a nice review of the wine but more importantly, gives you a good sense of where the wine comes from. Be sure to check it out to learn about the wine, the village of Eynesse, and the region Entre-Deux-Mers.
South America: Beyond Wine Bargains
When wines from Argentina and Chile began appearing on US retail shelves in the late 20th century, their initial reputation was something along the lines of “good cheap wine”.
However, around the same time, a number of people and companies flocked to South America to begin the process of creating high-quality wines, taking advantage of the continent’s high elevations, ideal climates, and mineral-rich soils. Entire plots of land were converted to vineyards; other vines were pulled out and replanted; “flying” winemaker consultants descended into the wineries; state-of-the-art facilities were built; and many other investments of time and expense were introduced to Argentina and Chile specifically.
Getting great wine from vines takes time, and over the last few years, we are starting to — pardon the pun — enjoy the fruits of those labors.
Recently, Joe Roberts — author of the 1 Wine Dude blog — wrote a piece in Palate Press titled Chilean and Argentinian Wines Exceed Bargain Bin Standards, which covers the history of wine in South America and some outstanding examples that have elevated the category from “bargain bin” to “serious and collectible” bottles.
Joe also wrote a great review of De Martino Single Vineyard “Las Cruces” Old Bush Vines, describing it as “… the full package: tobacco smoke, meat, chocolate, dark plum, juicy and silky … Focused, expressive, and sure to be empty at your dinner table in before-you-know-it timeframes.”
Additionally, Joe has been posting wine reviews on Twitter, and had some nice words for Ruca Malen Chardonnay, Ruca Malen Malbec, Ruca Malen Petit Verdot, Kinien Malbec, Kinien Don Raul, and Yauquen Cabernet Sauvignon; De Martino Legado Syrah; De Martino Altos Los Toros, De Martino Alto de Piedras, De Martino Limavida, De Martino El Leon, and De Martino Legado Chardonnay.
Whatever Wine You Like is Good, the Rest is Jargon
Though he came from a French family and was exposed to wine from a young age, Ruca Malen co-founder / co-owner Jean Pierre Thibaud was never much of a snob about drinking wine. He readily admits that he doesn’t know all that much about wine, and in fact has this view: “Whatever wine you like is good, the rest is jargon.”
So it is somewhat surprising that this engineer-turned-World Bank executive would find his way into the wine business — much less, found a winery. But after heading Bodegas Chandon for 10 years, Thibaud caught “the wine bug” and decided to create a state-of-the-art winery that expressed his French and Argentine roots — Ruca Malen.
Read the whole story of Thibaud’s development as winery owner in this article published in Wine Republic Argentina.
Like Wine? Like Chocolate? Have Them Together!
Michelle Locke recently wrote a story about chocolate wine for the Associated Press (AP), featuring our Opici Wines’ very own Cocoa di Vine. It includes a quote from Managing Director Don Opici.
Here is an excerpt:
Candy is dandy, but chocolate wine really seems to get taste buds in an uproar.
“The reaction has been amazing,” says Don Opici, whose family-run company, Opici Wines, recently introduced Cocoa di Vine.
Never heard of chocolate wine? Chances are you will. More vintners are amping up the decadence decibels with blends of wine infused with chocolate flavorings.
Sold as dessert wines and particularly popular around choco-centric holidays such as Valentine’s Day and Easter, the wines fit into a larger trend that has seen Americans embracing their penchant for wines that are fruity and sweet, such as moscato, the sweet and zesty white wine that took off last summer.
“It is absolutely fitting into the sweet tooth wine trend, says W. R. Tish, founder of the wine site NYWineSalon.com.
Chocolate wines generally fall into two camps. Some are port-style wines that are dark red and have, if done right, a rich, dark chocolate taste. … The other style mixes cream into the wine, creating a sort of adult milk shake.
Cocoa di Vine falls into the latter category, though it’s a little different in that it is based on a blend of white wines, including torrontes, moscato and Pedro Ximenez, a sherry grape.
Ten years ago, “I would have laughed at the idea of a chocolate wine,” says Tish. But he’s been taking Cocoa di Vine to tasting events, where it’s proved so popular that, “I’m careful not to bring it out until the end.”
You can read the article in its entirety on Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, ABCNews.com, CNBC.com, or any of the 10,000+ websites that have picked it up. You may also read about it in your local newspaper or hear about it on the radio — this AP story was distributed to over 1700 newspapers and 5000 radio stations throughout the USA!
More information on Cocoa di Vine chocolate wine.
De Martino Wins Big at the Wines of Chile Awards 2011
Seems like everywhere you turn, De Martino is earning another 90-point rating or picking up another award for their spectacular wines — most recently, last week at the “8th Annual Wines of Chile Awards” held in Santiago, Chile.
The bicentennial version of this annual awards ceremony welcomed a star-studded international jury and this year’s distinguished panel consisted of the following wine journalists, critics and experts:
Steven Spurrier (United Kingdom)
Oz Clarke (United Kingdom)
Josh Reynolds (United States)
Josh Greene (United States)
Michael Schachner (United States)
Jorge Lucki (Brazil)
Shari Mogk-Edwards (Canada)
François Primeau (Canada)
Jeannie Cho Lee (China)
Kyoungja (Corinne) Eom (Korea)
Tomoko Ebisawa (Japan)
Andreas Larsson (Sweden)
Héctor Vergara (Chile)
As has been the case in previous years, De Martino was yet again one of the stars of the show. Of the 9 wines submitted, De Martino picked up 8 medals, including 3 GOLD, and also walked away with 2 “Best in Category” trophies. The full list of De Martino medals & trophies is as follows:
TROPHIES for BEST IN CATEGORY
Best Carmenere: De Martino Single Vineyard Carmenere “Alto de Piedras” 2009
Best Other Red: De Martino Single Vineyard Old Bush Vines “Limavida” 2007
GOLD MEDALS
De Martino Single Vineyard Carmenere “Alto de Piedras” 2009
De Martino Single Vineyard Old Bush Vines “Las Cruces” 2007
De Martino Single Vineyard Old Bush Vines “Limavida” 2007
SILVER MEDALS
De Martino Single Vineyard Carignan “El Leon” 2007
De Martino Single Vineyard Syrah “Alto Los Toros” 2008
De Martino Legado Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2008
BRONZE MEDALS
De Martino Legado Carmenere Reserve 2009
