Since its inception in 2000, Open That Bottle Night has become a global event, held annually on the last Saturday of February.
Australia’s participation in this initiative has been intermittent, but the team behind Mastermind Consulting believes now is the time to salute the special bottles of wine held captive in cellars or cupboards. It’s time to bring out those bottles saved for a rainy day and join in the global OTBN celebrations from our wine-loving cities and towns in Australia.
Mastermind Consulting’s CEO Trish Barry said, “Wine is meant to be enjoyed and its stories shared. Open That Bottle Night provides people with the perfect excuse to raid their cellars, invite wine-loving friends to their home, gather some friends at BYO restaurants and tell the stories about the bottles brought to the table. Why do winemakers produce wine? So people can delight in its enjoyment. So let’s do what the makers intended and put the wines on centre stage for one evening.”
The concept of Open That Bottle Night (#OTBN) was initiated by two wine journalists at The Wall Street Journal. Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher encouraged their readers to open a significant bottle, then to share its story. 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 a memory of life milestones, births, deaths and marriages, long-lost loved ones and treasured holidays. Gaiter and Brecher believe these memories are too precious and significant not to be celebrated and shared.
This year, Open That Bottle Night will be held on Saturday 27 February. This initiative provides drinkers with the prospect of branching out from their usual brands and varieties.
Once the wine has been opened and tasted, participants are encouraged to post thoughts and impressions on social media using #OTBN, or post their OTBN photos on the dedicated Facebook page.
