Kathy Matson • Tasting Room Manager, Galen Glen Winery
In December of 1996, on our honeymoon, my husband and I purchased a beautiful blue bottle of German Riesling. It came in an attractive box with a certificate of authenticity and was a special memory for us. We promptly brought it home, tucked it in our liquor cabinet and decided together to “save it” for a special occasion.
On our first wedding anniversary we ate the top of our wedding cake but forgot about that wine. Sadly, we had not heard of this “new” holiday in February of 2000 that was created by two wine writers to encourage the opening of special bottles of wine or we may have opened it then.
In the Autumn of 2008 we pulled the pretty box out of the cabinet, dusted it off and opened the wine too late. It did not taste as sweet as the memories of our honeymoon, was oxidized and not really fit to consume. All was not lost, the blue bottle with a painted German castle gilded in gold still sits on our kitchen counter repurposed as an olive oil dispenser and a reminder of a wonderful trip, however, it also serves as a reminder to carpe diem, seize the day and open that bottle.
Open That Bottle Night was created by “The Wall Street Journal” columnists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher to be celebrated the last Saturday of February. Their intention was to bring people together with wine and conversation. They were probably ahead of their time as this was before popular memes like, “I’m inviting a few friends over to stare at their phones tonight.”
The holiday, now in its nineteenth year, encourages people all around the world to dust off that bottle that brings back memories and celebrate them with friends. It’s not just about consuming the beverage but fostering relationships. Open that bottle night creates that “special occasion” and a reason to open a cherished bottle of wine. I have a theory that each day that I wake up on this side of the daisies (or snow in February) is a special occasion to be celebrated.
This year for Open That Bottle Night, February 23, I will be working. I’ll be opening and sharing special cellared wines with guests of the winery. Whether you’re hosting or heading to a party, there are some important facts to keep in mind if participating in Open That Bottle Night:
1. Ask guests to bring a bottle and share the stories related to their offering.
2. Serve the wine at cellar temperature (about 55 degrees), red or white.
3. Use a butler’s cork screw – a two-pronged opener – to avoid cork breakage
4. Don’t be upset if your special bottle isn’t what you expected. Toast to the memory of what it was or to what it could be (in the event it was opened too early).
5. Have a spare bottle or two, in the event that bullet point 4 happens, you don’t want to be without libations.
6. Enjoy your friends. Enjoy the wine. Put down the electronics and have meaningful conversations.
My advice for February, “don’t let the shortest month be your longest regret.” In other words, “open that bottle.”
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