Open That Bottle Night was invented by Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, writers of the weekly wine column in the Wall Street Journal, as well as the authors of The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine. If you haven't yet heard of them, they are two of the most wonderful and unpretentious wine writers out there, and they've been the spark for much of the interest in wine we have here at Casual Kitchen.
But back to Open That Bottle Night. In their column leading up to last year's OTBN, here's how Dottie and John described it:
"So very many of us have that special bottle -- from a departed loved one, from a visit to a winery, from a vacation -- that we're always going to open for just the right moment, but, of course, that moment never comes. So the wine sits and sits and sits and becomes more and more precious, so it sits and sits some more."
Do you have just such a bottle of wine, laying around, collecting dust, and waiting for a "reason" to be opened? Well, that's exactly what Open That Bottle Night is all about. This Saturday, February 28th is the night that you will simply open that bottle, enjoy it, and create new memories.
I love celebrations like this because they show us that great times and great moments are all around us. Open That Bottle Night actively encourages you to celebrate life now. After all, what's the point of waiting, passively, for memorable or celebratory events to come to you? Why wait to open a bottle at some point in the future when you can make memories today?
I've even started to think of OTBN as an annual holiday, since it always falls on the last Saturday in February. And OTBN grows each year in popularity--every year, more and more readers send their stories to Dottie and John of the special bottle of wine they chose, why they chose it, and most importantly, what memories they celebrated.
And Dottie and John always write a follow-up column sharing some of the best reader memories from that night. It's always one of their best columns of the year.
And if you want to add a little bit of extra fun to your evening, jot down the kind of wine you're drinking, the vintage year, and any thoughts on what you like (or don't like) about the wine. Keep the paper somewhere safe so you can use it to write down notes for next year's OTBN. Who knows, maybe this will be the start of an annual tradition for you!
At Casual Kitchen, we'll also be opening our own bottle of wine on February 28th, and I'll be sure to share the story with you. I also intend to use OTBN as a kick-off for a brief series of posts on wines at Casual Kitchen.
What are you going to do on Open That Bottle Night this year?
Related Links:
Dottie and John's Tastings Column in the Wall Street Journal
Related Posts:
How to Spend Exactly the Right Amount of Money For an Important Celebration
Countdown: The Top Ten Alcoholic Drinks of Summer
How to Be a Satisficer
How to Start a Casual and Inexpensive Wine Tasting Group
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2 comments:
What a fun event! I do have a bottle of red waiting around--I might just join in!
Hi Amanda, glad you're joining in! This is what I was hoping would happen. Nothing like celebrating, whatever the reason.
DK
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