Chicagoist Opens that Bottle
By Carrie Becker in Food on Feb 26, 2010 5:20PM
C. Becker
Eleven years ago, Wall Street Journal wine columnists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher decided to say "screw it" to waiting for a special occasion to open that bottle of wine and just don it. They birthed the now annual and global celebration "Open That Bottle Night." Tomorrow, wine enthusiasts near and far will celebrate this night with something they hope may have been cellared to perfection or one that sits like a devil on your shoulder begging you to open it now.
At Chicagoist, we drink like fishes so not all of us are so great at holding onto a bottle of wine, and not all of us consume a ton of wine (some just like scotch). Regardless, we asked around and here's what our fine spirited staff members plan to open this Saturday.
Kevin: Does Binny's sell Champale? Because I'd open a bottle of that ANY night!
Ben: Do whiskeys count? It has to be wine?
Lindsey: Same here. I'm more likely to keep special beer around... though I don't currently have any bottles waiting to be opened.
Aaron: I'll second that question. I do enjoy wine quite a bit, but I'm no knowledgeable fancy pants. If it's not Two Buck Chuck, it's whatever I can get for $10 that has a label on it I like.
Tankboy: In my house every day is a good day to crack open that special bottle of Boone's Farm!
Rob: I wish I could think of something, but I just don't hoard bottles of wine.
Alex: Well, I usually don't keep bottles around (just because of drinking tendencies; it's not a matter of policy), but I have this bottle of pinot noir from Austria that I've been sitting on because, for me, it's unusual. I don't believe I've had red wine from Austria, although Gruner Veltliner is one of my favorite grapes, so I'm optimistic/curious. Also, the bottle was recommended to me by a clerk at Wine Discount Center, and they've never steered me wrong.
Stolpman: I'll open up a bottle that I'd been hanging on to a Stolpman Vineyards Estate Grown Sangiovese.
Ben: Mmk... I'd open a Suntory (Japanese scotch) and pour a little bit out for my forlorn youth/innocence.
Chuck: I'm sitting on a four-year (soon to be five-year) vertical of Dark Lord, but the financial planner in me says I should auction that. I also have a rare bottle of Goose Island Juliet made with marion ("Bitch set me up!") berries instead of blackberries that might fall under the same guise. If we're talking wine, you can't go wrong with a bottle of Lynfred Winery's Cuvee Premium white table wine. 100 percent chardonnay vinted and bottled in nearby Roselle.
Carrie: Two years ago, I brought back from Florence a case of wine from Castello Della Paneretta. Living in the city and in a condo does not afford me the opportunity to cellar wine so the case sits in my parent's basement in the burbs. My mom is always eager to open a bottle (sometimes I need to check to make sure she hasn't snagged one from our stash). So, I am going to open the Torre a Destra 2004 (100% Sangiovese) with my husband and family this weekend.
What are you drinking on 'Open that Bottle Night'?