open that bottle night

• With their meaty texture, mild brine and vivid hue, Castelvetranos have become this year's olive of choice. — San Francisco Chronicle
• If you think organic food is safer, think again. — New York Times
• Make an authentic Roman spaghetti alla carbonara at home. — Boston Globe
• Kitchen twine is one tool no home cook should be without. — Los Angeles Times
• Find out what the creators of Open That Bottle Night enjoyed on its 10th anniversary. — Wall Street Journal
• 5 unusual recipes that call for nine items or fewer. — Washington Post
• Top Chef 4 winner Stephanie Izard has a weekly video podcast. — Chicago Tribune

Chances are you've got at least one bottle you've been saving for a special day, but what if you don't know what that significant occasion will be? That's the idea behind Open That Bottle Night, a dedicated evening when wine aficionados proclaim there's no time like the present to open a meaningful bottle of wine.

2009's event takes place this Saturday, Feb. 28, marking the 10th anniversary of the celebration created by Wall Street Journal Tastings columnists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher. As the two wine writers have put it: "You should worry less about what is the perfect moment for the wine than what is the perfect moment for you."

I've been celebrating OTBN for years, because I couldn't agree more with the message. It's important to enjoy life in the present. Isn't it time to take a moment to relax, pull the cork, and enjoy life by the sip? I'm looking forward to opening a bottle of 2006 Bella Vineyards Late Harvest Zinfandel that I've been holding onto. It's not about the monetary worth of the wine, but rather its sentimental value: I have nostalgic thoughts about years past when I drink it.

This weekend, what wine do you look forward to opening and why?

Are you holding on to a certain bottle of wine? Perhaps it's a bottle that has a place in your heart, or maybe it's one you are saving for a special occasion. Well, it's time to quit waiting and start drinking. Open That Bottle Night — a celebration in which wine lovers all over the world uncork a cherished bottle and enjoy the contents — is Saturday, Feb. 23. Created in 2000 by two wine writers from the Wall Street Journal —Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher — Open That Bottle Night gives wine drinkers a reason to finally drink that coveted bottle. The writers argue:

These dear bottles have a special way of retrieving warm and often-forgotten memories, but you have to pop the cork to release them. That's why we invented Open That Bottle Night. So very many of us have that special bottle — from a departed loved one, from a visit to a winery, from a vacation — that we're always going to open for just the right moment, but, of course, that moment never comes.

Until now! Mark your calendars and get your corkscrews ready. I will be popping a bottle of Moet Chandon that I've been saving since 2005. How about you? Will you open one of your most precious bottles?

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