Luxury, by the glass

Luxury, by the glass

What is there to say about Opus One that hasn't been said? Words like "luxury," "elegance," and "brilliance" immediately come to mind with the mere mention of the name. For those who have had the pleasure of tasting it, it is obvious why this wine is world-renowned.

As true as that may be, I'll venture to say that many of us still rarely (okay, probably never) spring for a bottle of this expensive cult wine.

The hefty price tag on Opus is justifiable, truly: all of the grapes are hand-harvested, and the wine is always aged for 18 months in French Oak and then aged an additional 15 months in the winery. "Opus One has embodied wine-making excellence in the Napa Valley for nearly four decades," explains Katie Wise, Wine Education Director for Wine World.  

"In the glass, the 2014 is precocious and vibrant: the result of a near perfect growing season in Oakville. The five Bordeaux-heritage varieties coalesce into a melange of red cherry, blackberry, and black currant which blankets a warm underpinning …

"In the glass, the 2014 is precocious and vibrant: the result of a near perfect growing season in Oakville. The five Bordeaux-heritage varieties coalesce into a melange of red cherry, blackberry, and black currant which blankets a warm underpinning of mocha, baking spice, and black olive."  Katie Wise, Education Director, Wine World

Even so, that price tag has kept many of us from ever enjoying a glass--even on a special occasion.  We shy away from the bottle for our own wallet's sake, and most restaurants hesitate to pour luxury wines by the glass for fear of wasting what remains. Alas, a glass of Opus One is incomparable--and often seemingly unattainable. 

At Wine World, we have decided to change that. For a limited time, The Wine Bar is offering Opus One by the glass. You can now experience the delectation of pairing Opus with a meal prepared by one of our Chef's, without splurging on the whole bottle!

Exceptional wine calls for exceptional presentation. That is why our highly-trained servers will pour Opus One into a Zalto Universal glass. Each of these 100% lead-free crystal glasses are hand-blown with precision and grace. The final product is stemware that truly best expresses the character of the wine it holds. 

“In the same way great music sounds better with great speakers, great wine tastes better in great stemware.” – Bryan McCaw, Head Wineaux, WineAlign

“In the same way great music sounds better with great speakers, great wine tastes better in great stemware.” – Bryan McCaw, Head Wineaux, WineAlign

To ensure that all of the brilliance and integrity of the wine is maintained, your glass of Opus One will be poured using a Coravin. Whether yours is the first or the last glass in the bottle, you can be assured that it is served to you fresh and in pristine condition.

Aptly referred to by it's creator, Greg Lambrecht, as a "wine access system," the Coravin uses a tiny needle to extract wine from a bottle while keeping the cork intact. After extraction, the system inserts a small amount of argon into the bottle ((…

Aptly referred to by it's creator, Greg Lambrecht, as a "wine access system," the Coravin uses a tiny needle to extract wine from a bottle while keeping the cork intact. After extraction, the system inserts a small amount of argon into the bottle ((to something about oxygen)). The cork naturally reseals, and voila! You're drinking wine from an "unopened" bottle, time and time again. 

At $80 per glass, Opus may still cause some "sticker-shock," at The Wine Bar. But, as compared to $329 for the bottle, it's looking a lot more likely that this girl will finally be getting a taste of one of the most famous wines of our time!

Join me.

 


Photo credits: Opus One Winery, Zalto Denk'Art, Coravin, respectively.