The Toronto Star wine critic, Gord Stimmell, alerted me to the fact that tomorrow is Open That Bottle Night.
Started by Wall Street Journal columnists John Brecher and Dorothy Gaiter, the event is basically a call to wine enthusiasts to stop waiting for a special occasion; make the last Saturday in February the occasion and pull out that special bottle you were saving. Too often, people hang on to a bottle too long, and either you or the bottle ends up being over the hill.
To participate, grab that bottle you were saving (or go out and buy a special bottle). Open it. Enjoy it.
I’m not sure if we have a special bottle in our wine cellar (aka closet) because we usually do a good job of sharing them with family and friends for occasions, and sometimes even no occasion. But in the spirit of the day, we’ll find something to open!
Sounds like a great idea! We’ve been aging some bottles of Amarone & on the Saturday night after Valentine’s Day, we opened one. It was okay, but not staggeringly better than the usual stuff we drink regularly. Maybe age isn’t always better.
I guess that’s the point – age isn’t necessarily going to help your wine, so why not open it and enjoy it now? Similar to using your “good” china and silverware, if you have it, for everyday occasions as well as special ones.