Go straight to your wine cellar, wine cupboard or cardboard box and did out a wine bottle you've been saving too long - because tonight - Saturday February 25, 2023 - it's Open That Bottle Night!
This superb idea was started in 2000 by Wall Street Journal wine writers Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, when they realized that way too many great bottles of wine were languishing in wine cellars - being kept for that "perfect" occasion - that never came!
So they declared that the last Saturday in February was henceforth "Open That Bottle Night" to clear out the cellar of at least one neglected bottle.
It's a very understandable problem. I have far too often looked in my cellar and thought about opening a great French Bordeaux or Chateauneuf-du-Pape or California Cabernet Sauvignon or BC Pinot Noir and then felt that the meal or the event was not grand enough or that the guests attending might not appreciate the exceptional wine or some other reason that caused me to leave it in the cellar.
And - very sadly - I have had many bottles go over the hill or actually become write-offs in my cellar, because I'd left them too long. There is nothing worse than opening an old and expensive bottle only to find that it has long ago passed its prime drinking age - or more awful still - is completely undrinkable!
It's a very understandable problem. I have far too often looked in my cellar and thought about opening a great French Bordeaux or Chateauneuf-du-Pape or California Cabernet Sauvignon or BC Pinot Noir and then felt that the meal or the event was not grand enough or that the guests attending might not appreciate the exceptional wine or some other reason that caused me to leave it in the cellar.
And - very sadly - I have had many bottles go over the hill or actually become write-offs in my cellar, because I'd left them too long. There is nothing worse than opening an old and expensive bottle only to find that it has long ago passed its prime drinking age - or more awful still - is completely undrinkable!
So tonight I encourage you to do what I'll be doing - open a really great bottle of wine from the cellar and not worrying about the meal or anything else - because it's Open That Bottle Night - and you don't need any other reason!
I've already opened one wine that's been in the cellar awhile - a beautiful Garzon Petit Verdot Single Vineyard 2016 from Uruguay - tastes fabulous!
And - segue - I bought it at the wonderful Vancouver International Wine Festival - running this year from April 22 to 28 - where you can taste excellent wines to replenish your cellar. The link above is to my Wine Barbarian post about it with lots of links and information - but hurry - advance discount tickets are selling fast and won't last long!
And - segue - I bought it at the wonderful Vancouver International Wine Festival - running this year from April 22 to 28 - where you can taste excellent wines to replenish your cellar. The link above is to my Wine Barbarian post about it with lots of links and information - but hurry - advance discount tickets are selling fast and won't last long!
Cheers!
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