How to get involved in Open That Bottle Night

This is your invitation to join in the global celebrations that are Open That Bottle Night.

Great wine is made to be shared. And one of the most fulfilling parts of belonging to the wine industry is hearing the stories of people opening those bottles with friends. It’s not always about cracking open the oldest vintage in your cellar (although that is a unique story in itself!). It could be a brand new wine release that’s made from small parcels of pristine fruit picked from lovingly nurtured vines. Alternatively, it poses the perfect opportunity to raid the cellar, gather some friends and reminisce about those wine trips or fun holidays you’ve had where a bottle of wine and the resulting story were part of the adventures.

So gather some friends and get involved in Open that Bottle Night on Saturday, 27 February 2021.

What’s Open That Bottle Night?

The concept of Open That Bottle Night (OTBN) was initiated by two reporters at The Wall Street Journal. Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher wanted to encourage their readers to open a significant bottle, then to share their stories. Since its inauguration in 2000, the event has become a global phenomenon, and is always held annually on the last Saturday in February.

The underlying premise of Open That Bottle Night is that wine is more than liquid in a bottle. With the opening of these wines comes memories of life milestones, births, deaths and marriages, long lost loved ones and treasured holidays. These memories are too precious and significant not to celebrate and share.

Here’s how to hold your own Open That Bottle Night:

1. Dig out a special wine that you’ve been saving for a special occasion. Don’t have anything in the cellar? No worries. Purchase a new release to celebrate and join in the fun.
2. Invite friends and family to your place or for an outdoor picnic while the weather is still warm. Tell your guests it’s a special occasion – you provide the wine, they bring a plate. Or what about matching the food to the wine being opened. Perhaps you have an Italian sangiovese, so you may try to make a dish from Tuscany, such as the classic Tuscan tomato and bread salad panzanella.
3. Once the wine has been opened and tasted, post your thoughts on social media using #OTBN, or if you’re opening an old bottle of Best’s Wine, be sure to take a photo and post it tagging us, so we can join in the fun and see what you’re drinking.
4. Tell the stories about the wines – where did you buy it from, did you meet the winemaker, what food matches best, what memories does it conjure? Is there a story from early days of discovering wine that you care to share?
5. Plan to do it all over again!

Need some wine tips?

Want some advice on how to deal with those old bottles? Hamish Thomson shares some Wine Wisdom which might help in your planning for the night.

Thirsty?

If you’re still looking for some older wines to discover, take a look at some of the back vintage releases available for purchase online.