I think a lot about wine. I think a lot about sports. I think a lot about the weather (granted, often I'm dreaming of warmer, sunnier climates). Truth be told, I think a lot and when I get something in my head, it really sinks its teeth in. Case in point: for weeks I've known today I would post about Open That Bottle Night, a little something Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher from the Wall Street Journal dreamt up ten years ago. Their idea? To give people an "excuse" to open that bottle of wine they've been saving. It's the "Just Do It!" for wine lovers around the world - because, let's face it, it can be hard to decide which occasion is special enough to cause you to pop the cork on that bottle you've been saving for the last 20 years.
I've been amped up since the Super Bowl about OTBN, I can't lie. I find February is the longest month of the year. By the end of the cold, damp, snowy eck of Feburary, I have wicked Spring Fever. Fortunately, OTBN happens every last Saturday of February. It is like a little light of hope at the end of the tunnel. A little light of goodness - whether I waited too long to open that bottle or not! There's no football the next day to look forward to either, so you can plan a fabulous brunch instead.
I've been biding my time to put together this little Friday post to remind everyone they have just one week to plan accordingly - whether it'll just be you and your hunny, or a small group of your most appreciative wine friends. But in my great anticipation and enthusiasm, I couldn't help asking around to find out who has what planned....
Wouldn't you know it, I haven't heard one plan yet. People. How can you forget this wondrous event is just one weekend away? Worse yet, how can you not know we are not just Opening That Bottle, but we're celebrating the 10th year of the event! Just to check if I am going crazy, a random lack of publicity for this momentous evening, I will now Google "open that bottle night".
1,610,000 entries loaded for 2009 alone.
Huh.
Well, if you didn't know, now you know! Open That Bottle Night is not to be missed! If you don't have a bottle of 10 or 20 or 5 year old anything, it doesn't matter. It's about the spirit of the occasion - of opening something you wouldn't just uncork with dinner - or something that, frankly, needs an excuse to be opened lest it be lost to the wine gods forever. For me, I think it will be a bottle of Spanish wine my best friend brought back from Barcelona for me after her wedding there. (I attended the Turkish Cypriat festivities, but couldn't make the trip to Barcelona for part deux. Her father-in-law is quite the vino lover, hand-selecting the wines for the occasion. I was sorry to have missed it! And my friend brought back one of the two remaining bottles for me to enjoy.)
So put on your party hat and get ready to raid your collection! We have 8 days and counting....
What are your plans for February 28th OTBN?