Open That Bottle Night, or OTBN, is the night to go to the cellar, or the shelf, or the box under the stairs, to pull out that special bottle, the one "too good" to open, or the special bottle from a long-lost loved one, and share it with friends and family.
Open That Bottle Night was created by Dottie Gaiter and John Brecher, formerly the wine columnists for The Wall Street Journal. Dottie and John were often asked the question, "when should I open this bottle," sometimes an expensive First Growth, but more often something special, the last of a case from a honeymoon in France, or a gift from a parent who has since shed the mortal veil. The answer was almost always, "this weekend."
After getting the question so many times, Dottie and John created Open That Bottle Night, a special night every year to open that bottle, the one that would otherwise sit in the dark until it was too late. More important, though, it was a night to share the bottle, with friends and family.
The first OTBN was in September, 1999. Since then, it has been on the last Saturday in February. This year will be the twelfth OTBN, and it would be a wonderful time for Daily Kos wine lovers to share something special, with their friends, their family, and with kossaks everywhere.
Dottie and John abruptly left The Wall Street Journal in December, 2009. The only surfaced one time since then, in Palate Press: The online wine magazine, in the story Dottie and John Share Their Thoughts About 'Open That Bottle Night.'.
This year, for the first time every, they will be hosting OTBN live, again at Palate Press. I hope you will join us, in the magazine and here in our new Daily Kos Wine Lovers' Group, to share something special with friends.