Most wine cellars have at least one bottle that’s been hanging out there for years. For whatever reason, there has always been an excuse to keep holding onto it — possibly acquired during a memorable trip, or maybe it was a gift from an unrequited love and opening it would unleash an unyielding hatred that’s been held in check only by regular visits to a very expensive therapist. Whatever the case, that bottle ha been patiently waiting for its owner to find a moment deserving enough to pop it open; and just like asking for money from your parents, no occasion ever seems like the right one.
On February 28, there’s just such an occasion: Open that Bottle Night.
Open That Bottle Night (or OTBN, for the acronymically inclined) was invented by Wall Street Journal wine columnists Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher (pictured right) as a celebration of that bottle that’s been sitting around waiting to be appreciated. OTBN is turning 10 this year, and thousands of wine lovers around the world are arranging or attending parties in its honor. If you’ve got an ‘83 Margeaux lying around with the words “drink me” written in the dust it’s collected over the years, OTBN is the time to break it out, pop the cork (carefully), and pour a little out for your homies. Especially if I’m one of your homies.
Let’s face it, though. You don’t have a bottle of ‘83 anything. You don’t even have a bottle of ‘03 anything. No worries! You don’t need a big name bottle or an old vintage to participate, and that’s because the wine isn’t really the main event. “It’s not about the quality of the wine,” Dorothy and John told me when I asked them what they recommend a newbie to bring to OTBN, “it’s about the power of the memories.” See, when you open your bottle, you are supposed to say a few words about the wine and what it means to you. It’s the story that comes out of the bottle — not the wine — that what make OTBN so special.
And stories –heartwarming, funny, dirty, or just plain silly – are something that everyone has plenty of. On top of the stories, if you happen to be learning about wine, OTBN is the perfect opportunity to taste a lot of different wines at a lot of different ages. Consider it a side benefit to the stories.
With that said, what do you bring to OTBN if you don’t have a bottle lying around? Go out and get a bottle of wine – within your budget – that is related to a story in your life that you can tell (preferably without immediately being arrested afterward). Did you honeymoon in Greece? Try and find an Agiorgitiko. Were you mugged in Sicily? Maybe pick up a bottle Nero d’Avola. Have you been recently laid off from your job… as a porn star? Then there’s definitely a wine for you. (And, call me?).
You should consider that most of the wine real “wine-geeks” bring to OTBN has been sitting around — in cellars or under sinks – for perhaps far longer than it should have been. Some of it may taste like shit, but that is just one more memory to add to the collection. And remember – everything tastes better in good company. “In today’s world, we seem to know so little about each other, even our friends,” continued Gaiter and Brecher. “One of the things that OTBN accomplishes is to open a little window on ourselves and our friends through their stories – all told through that simplest of things, a bottle of wine.” So go forth, find or host an OTBN, and open up.
Bryan Maleszyk is a digital strategist who is drunk on life. He occasionally blogs about technology and business – when he’s not eating or drinking.
