Are you saving that great bottle of wine for a special occasion? Wait no more! Dust of the Reidel glasses and that favourite bottle of wine and crack it this weekend on Open That Bottle Night! (#OTBN)
Two wine journalists at The Wall Street Journal, Dorothy J Gaiter and John Brecher initiated the concept of Open That Bottle Night. Gaiter and Brecher encouraged their readers to open a significant bottle then to share its story. Since its inauguration in 2000, the event has become a global phenomenon, held annually on the last Saturday in February.
The underlying premise of OTBN is that wine is more than liquid in a bottle. With the opening of these wines comes a memory of life milestones, births, deaths and marriages, long-lost loved ones and treasured holidays. Gaiter and Brecher believe these memories are too precious and significant not to be celebrated and shared.
Open that Bottle Night provides drinkers with the prospect of branching out from their usual brands and varieties, try wine from a boutique winery or quirky producer or an excuse to open that special bottle of wine.
Australia's participation is getting a much-needed boost this year from the team behind Mastermind Consulting and a bunch of Aussie wine makers. Mastermind Consulting's CEO Trish Barry says: "Wine is meant to be enjoyed and its stories shared. Open That Bottle Night provides people with the perfect excuse to raid their cellars, invite wine-loving friends to their home, gather some friends at BYO restaurants and tell the stories about the bottles brought to the table. Why do winemakers produce wine? So people can delight in its enjoyment. So let's do what the makers intended and put the wines on centre stage for one evening."
Now is the time to salute the special bottles of wine held captive in the cellars or cupboards of Australia and celebrate on Saturday 27 February 2016. OTBN will be celebrated from all wine-loving cities and towns of Australia. Better still; book a wine weekend in one of our favourite wine regions such as Hunter Valley, Mornington Peninsula or Yarra Valley and meet the maker.
Join the global OTBN celebrations, raid the cellar, invite wine-loving friends to your home, head to a BYO restaurant or book a wine weekend and share your stories, thoughts and impressions on social media using #OTBN and following the official Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/Openthatbottlenight
Personally, we're looking to open a Magnum of Cullen, 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot. Having met winemaker Vanya Cullen at a wine makers dinner some years ago, we've been incredibly impressed with their biodynamic principals and ethos. It's worth a trip to Margaret River to visit the cellar door, dine in the restaurant or even stay at the Cullen Residence.
Where will you be celebrating #OTBN and what wine will you open?
