I have a confession to make: When I received a kind invitation earlier this month to attend a dinner celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Opimian Society, I fully expected it to be some dreary affair, packed with aging wine snobs putting on airs.
I imagined myself sandwiched between Thurston Howell III and his wife over dinner, feigning interest in Bordeaux First Growths I could never afford.
I just hoped there would be enough free-flowing wine to make it all bearable.
Seems I was a bit of a twerp in my assumptions.
To be sure, flip-flops and beach shorts were absent at the posh anniversary dinner at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel on June 12, but it was by no means an elitist affair.
Rather, the Opimian anniversary dinner was an opportunity for self-professed wine nerds to geek out with like-minded oenophiles.
Think well-dressed Trekkies with awesome alcohol.
Better still, I was seated next to Jane Masters MW, wine consultant to the society. The MW appended to her name stands for Master of Wine, of which there are only a few hundred in the world.
It is an extraordinary achievement to become one, and those inducted into the Institute of Masters of Wine enjoy rock-star status in the wine world.
Having one speak at your anniversary dinner is like having the Rolling Stones perform at your wedding.
Conversing with the elegant and erudite Masters over exquisite food and wine was a tremendous privilege.
I tried to be cool, but had to stop myself from swooning like a groupie more than once. Fortunately, her down-to-earth manner (she went by the nickname Champagne Jane in university) allows Masters to speak to society members at any level, be they expert or beginner.
Understanding the needs and expectations of members proves useful in her role as wine consultant to Opimian.
With 16,000-plus members across Canada (475 in Victoria), the society has considerable purchasing power and Masters employs it to good effect — visiting wineries all over the world and sampling hundreds of wines, from which she compiles select offerings in a range of styles and price points for members.
Masters also knows how to find value at any price.
“We focus a lot on quality and value for money,” remarked Masters. “Just because you enjoy fine wine doesn’t mean you can drink it every day. Some days, you just want something simple to go with baked beans on toast.”
Indeed, the prospect of having an MW hand pick wines to pair with everything from filet mignon to frozen pizza has a certain cachet.
Masters does more than just pick value wines for members, though. Each and every bottle has a story to tell, and she is adept at relating where each selection comes from, how it was made and the long traditions and personal stories behind each producer.
The exclusive nature of the wines Masters picks is appealing, too. Opimian wines aren’t available to garden-variety consumers through provincial liquour boards; they can only be acquired through the society.
That is attractive to many members, because who among us doesn’t enjoy one-upping the Joneses now and again? In fact, many wines the society has introduced to Canada over the past four decades have influenced the buying decisions of several provincial liquor boards.
If there is a downside to Opimian wines, it’s that there is a preponderance of Old World offerings from established countries, such as France, Italy and Spain.
That’s not a bad thing, but a number of exciting New World regions get overlooked as a result.
Even so, the society is evolving and embracing more New World wine regions — particularly California — and even some Canadian offerings are starting to appear.
Hopefully this trend will continue as the society grows and evolves.
And while many members join just to buy exclusive vino, it is worth noting Opimian is more than a not-for-profit wine-buying co-op. The society also organizes local and overseas wine tours, and regularly puts on educational events and dinners with guest speakers.
In doing so, the organization provides a broad social network for oenophiles in Victoria and across Canada.
Now in its 40th year, Opimian is increasingly accessible and affordable, broadening its appeal to a new generation of wine lovers.
“You don’t have to be wealthy or an expert,” says Steve Hutchinson, Opimian’s area representative for Victoria. “You just need to have an appreciation for wine.”
For more information, go to the society’s website at opimian.ca.