Open that Bottle!

Open That Bottle Night is February 24th! 

While maybe not as well-known of a holiday as "National Margarita Day" (which was also this week, February 22. If you didn't celebrate, belated celebrations are always acceptable!), Open That Bottle Night will soon become one of your favorite nights of the year. 

Dorothy J. Gaiter, author of The Wall Street Journal's wine column, "Tastings," from 1998 to 2010  created  the annual "Open That Bottle Night" celebration of wine and friendship. 

In her words, "John and I invented Open That Bottle Night to provide an impetus for people to enjoy a wine they had been keeping for a special occasion that never arrived. Weddings, births, anniversaries, all manner of special milestones had come but those corks remained intact. We knew this happened because readers told us about bottles like that and we have many ourselves.
While we urge people to open them as often as possible, and we try to do that because no one is promised tomorrow, there are still some bottles that we just haven’t brought ourselves to open. Some are rather young, but special to us, still. The point is to open these gems with someone you care about and celebrate the memories that are in that bottle. Make them the occasion. Recognizing that sometimes it takes a village to do something difficult, we set a date, the last Saturday in February, for this global celebration of friendship, love and wine. This year, it’s Feb. 24th.

The hard part is choosing the wine. If it’s old and may have sediment, you’ll want to stand it up a couple days before Saturday the 24th so the sediment will settle in the bottom of the bottle. Have a back-up wine handy in case your first choice is irretrievably bad (and even then, don’t rush to throw it out. You’d be surprised how some old wines can pull themselves together by the next day).

It's not all about old and collectables. Some people use OTBN as a reason to finally buy a wine they’ve been curious about for some time.

Talk about the wine, why it’s special to you, and savor a little of it without food. Give it a minute alone, give it its due. And last, enjoy the wine for what it is, not what it might someday be or might once have been."

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If you're either looking to buy a special bottle to celebrate or wondering which bottle from you existing collection you should open, we have some suggestions. 

Celebrations large and small (and really, why not just celebrate existence?) deserve champagne, and the 1997 Champagne Salon is really starting to drink at its peak.  

You can't go wrong with a Burgundy. The 2006 vintage of red Burgundy is drinking really nicely and 2013 vintage for white Burgundy will surprise you with their finesse.

Much like Burgundy, Barolo has a reputation for excellence. The 2004 Barolos are beginning to open up very nicely. 

With spring around the corner, it's time to open and drink 2016 rosés. They are better young (I'm sure many of us would say the same of ourselves!) and the 2017s are starting to hit the shores.  

International Sauvignon Blanc Day

• Sauvignon Blanc is the world’s 8th most planted wine grape.
   
• No surprise, the grape hails from France. There the wine often takes its name from the region, not the varietal.  Sancerre—not Sauvignon Blanc. So when you’re drinking a Sancerre, know it is from the same grape as a Sauvignon Blanc.

Domaine Vincent Delaporte, Sancerre, France

• Originally the grape was used in other blends, usually to make sweeter desert wines. In the 20th century Sancerre found popularity in Parisian bars and bistros and the success spread around the globe.
   
• New Zealand is now one of the most well-known and well-loved producers of Sauvignon Blanc. 90% of New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs are from Marlborough, the wine region on the northernmost end of the island.
   

Peregrine Wines, Queenstown, New Zealand

• If you read our blog on Malbec World Day, you’ll remember a nasty little bug called phylloxera that destroyed most of the French Malbec vines. The Sauvignon Blanc vines in New Zealand are all planted phylloxera-resistant rootstock. So take heart, your favorite Sauv Blanc most likely won’t suffer the fate of French Malbecs of old.
   
• France and New Zealand aren’t the only two countries providing the world with the easy-drinking wine. Italy, Chile, and South Africa are also major producers. (L to R: MAN, South Africa; Reyneke, South Africa; Gradis'ciutta, Italy; Cono Sur Chile)
   

• French Sancerre (also known as Pouilly Fumé and occasionally Sauvignon Blanc) are typically full of mineral and citrus flavors. ⬇️

• South African Sauvignon Blancs have balanced flavors with a light-medium body and acidity, in between mineral and herbaceous. ⬇️

• Chilean Sauvignon Blancs are marked by their citrus and green flavors and juicy high acidity. ⬇️

• New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs have intense tropical green flavors, a nice mix of fruity and herbaceous. ⬇️

• Italian Sauvignon Blancs, also “Old World” like French Sancerres, have a medium body with stone fruit, floral fragrances. ⬇️

• Whatever your preference, you can find just the Sauvignon Blanc for your taste. This is a wine easily enjoyed with or without food.