TONIGHT - Saturday February 24, 2024 is OPEN THAT BOTTLE NIGHT! Do it!

Do you have a special bottle of wine sitting in your cellar or closet or kitchen that you have been saving for years, waiting for a "special occasion" to open it?

Do it TONIGHT!  Yes tonight, because this is international Open That Bottle Night - the last Saturday of February - when there's no more excuses, no more waiting for the perfect dinner, date, group of friends - whatever has kept you from opening that languishing bottle! '

Paul Hobbs personally signed 2011 Pinot Noir 

and yes I opened it recently

Believe me, you won't be sorry - unless that special bottle has gone off because you waited too long.  In which case, open another old one! 

The idea was created by two wine columnists from the Wall Street Journal in 1999.  John Brecher and Dorothy Gaiter found that the most common question they received from readers was "I have this bottle from my late father, or my wedding or an auction or a visit to a winery.  When should I open it?"  Their answer?  "This weekend - open it and celebrate the memories." 

But they also decided people need to band together to find the courage to open that long-waiting bottle, so the invented Open That Bottle Night -  and if you read this on Saturday February 24, 2024 - tonight's the night! 

If you read it later than Saturday, other night will do just fine too! 

Jim Robertson of Stonleigh in New Zealand with
Wine Barbarian Bill Tieleman at the Festival 

But don't hold on to it for another year - the odds just go up that it will go off!

Cheers - Bill Tieleman, The Wine Barbarian! 

PS - don't miss the Vancouver International Wine Festival running from February 24 to March 3, 2024 - there are still some tickets available for International Festival Tasting Thursday through Saturday and a few other events!  I hope to see you there!