Wow! Why did it take me so long to host "Open that Bottle Night"? Started back in 2007 by Wall Street Journal wine columnists Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, this wonderful private tasting with friends can be a very special experience. My husband and I brought together 14 friends for a potluck dinner with their favorite wines. Each person brought 2 bottles and a matching dish and the fun began. We each talked about why the wine was special with stories that ranged from the first time they had that grape to a wine bought during the first year of marriage. We had way too much food and probably too much wine. But who's counting glasses. A few bottles even traveled across the globe from South Africa recently in a private wine collection of 1200 bottles. So here are your tips and treats for this post.
TIPS: While opening my 2004 Artezin Zinfandel magnum from Hess Collection of Napa, CA. we had trouble getting the cork out because it had dried out. We thought it was going to be spoiled but it wasn't!
- Make sure you keep your wines laid down and turn them periodically to keep the corks moist.
- If your cork crumbles, don't panic, push the cork into the wine and decant it.
- While you are pouring the wine into the decanter strain it through a coffee filter to catch the loose cork.
- Drink and enjoy.
TREAT: Our treat of the evening was a 1978 Brunello Di Montalcino by Fattoria from Italy. This wine was purchased during the first year of marriage of a guest and it was exceptional. It was a little brown in color and had a smell of manure at first but that passed with every minute. Based on what I can find online this wine was a very good vintage and probably worth well over $200. Went beatifully with the Chipino...
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