Cellaring is what can get you in the OTBN dilema because you think you have to hold onto that particular bottle until the time is exactly right; or you are a slave to synergy of pairing the right wine with that dish you have been meaning to prepare. In an effort to worry less about the perfect moment to open the wine, and more about what was a good moment for us, we whipped out the corkscrew last night and took a chance!
So much is discussed about wine today: terrior is not a dog, it's pronounced ter-Wah and it means the land from which the wine came. However, like the French wine I know nothing about, I don't know terrior (French) other than we all love their dear old vines. I think blending of wine and people is probably a good idea, but I'll never know the percentages. Blending is something left to the experts, and I wouldn't know how to compare vinography versus pornography; but I hear they are both popular on cable right now (I don't subscribe to cable TV).
Last night, after saving a luscious, 2006 Caymus® (Cabernet Sauvignon) from the Napa Valley [produced and bottled in Rutherford, California], we decided it was the right night to OTB. This was a perfect gift from dear friends who can afford this kind of artisan wine, and we opened it last night to celebrate a wonderful occasion at the end of a long week. It did not disappoint, although it was still a little "hot" even after de-canting and being "cellared" in our wine fridge for months. (14.8% alcohol by volume (ABV)). This was a memorable bottle and you would expect nothing less from a pro like Chuck Wagner and a vineyard that was founded 40 years ago in the middle of Napa Valley.
This wine was so hearty it was like eating meat. We could taste the oaky barrels and gravelly soil from which it came, as well as various berries and even some chemicals in the aroma. I don't know if it was the Srihachi red pepper paste on my Pei-Wei® Thai chicken, or the Cabernet, but my dreams were haunted by all the villains I face in today's world. I tossed and turned all night, but it was worth it. [Maybe I should have paired the food with an innocent Sauvignon Blanc?]
My fortune cookie was appropriate: "A bird does not sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song!" A wine does not sit on the shelf as the "perfect" response to your evening; it is poured out as a drink offering to the love of the people surrounding it. All the expertise in the world will not add to the friendship of the gathering, nor does it improve the taste of the wine on the best of occasions. Once again OTBN celebrates people over wine, love over viticulture, taste over cost, and communion over expertise. We were blessed with the gift of 2006 Caymus and it came to our party like a song, over-flowing with love, beauty, and melody, as did my betrothed. It was a great night. Cheers!
Whether it’s the only bottle in the house or one bottle among thousands, just about all wine lovers have that very special wine that they always mean to open, but never do. This is why “Tastings” columnists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher invented Open That Bottle Night, the world-wide celebration of friends, family and memories during which all of us finally drink that wine that is otherwise simply too special to open.
ReplyDeleteOn OTBN, which is celebrated on the last Saturday of February every year, thousands of bottles all over the world are released from prison and enjoyed. With them come memories of great vacations, long-lost loved ones and bittersweet moments. The whole point of the weekly “Tastings” column is that wine is more than the liquid in the bottle. It’s about history, geography, relationships and all of the things that are really important in life.
I can't remember the exact exchange from Sideways, but the gal asked Giammati when he was going to drink the wonderful Burgundy he was hoarding. He said that he was saving it for a special occasion. She replied: "When you drink it, that's the special occasion."
ReplyDeleteAnd I prefer my enology with an O at the beginning. You had me confused. Tanks.