Woo hoo! We held our virtual OTBN yesterday, and it was fun. Today I’m going to share the results of our Virtual OTBN with you.
What Is OTBN?
For starters, OTBN stands for Open That Bottle Night. The event was created in 2000 by the wine writers of the Wall Street Journal who decided that we needed a night to bring out our special oldie moldy wines to share with fellow wine lovers. The day for OTBN is the last Saturday in February.
What Is Virtual OTBN?
With the pandemic, we aren’t in a position to gather together. So, we decided to do a virtual OTBN, where we gather via Zoom to discuss what we’re drinking. This was a first ever for us, and hopefully a last ever for us. But it was incredibly fun.
What Were the Results of Our Virtual OTBN?
Nine of us from five different households got together over Zoom to share this fun evening. Amongst us, we tried 13 wines. Here were the results:
WHITES
- 2005 German Riesling – Heavenly!
- Two 2004 California Chardonnays – One was seriously past its prime. The other, from Wente Brothers, was a bit past its prime.
- Late harvest Viognier – Amazing!
PINKS
- Last Draw rosé (from Texas) – Good
REDS
- Pederrales Tempranillo (also from Texas) – Good
- Noceto Rosso (Tuscan style from Amador County) – Meh
- 2013 Aria di Caiarossa (from Tuscany) – Lovely!
- 2013 Sueño Profundo (from Napa) – Awesome!
- 2008 Thirst from Toolbox Wine Company (from Napa) – past its prime
- 2003 Cooper Garrod Cabernet France – Good
- 2003 Rosenblum Bordeaux Style – Incredible!
- 2006 San Andreas Red Bordeaux Style – Okay, but a little past its prime
Takeaways
As is always the case, you just don’t know how wines will age. Even when you follow the winery’s guidance on how long to age a particular wine, that guidance might not work. We were thrilled to find at least one great bottle from each household.
Normally, we vote on the best wine. This year, since we were all drinking different wines, we gave out awards for the best story telling. Two of our friends who moved to TX several years ago definitely one won of those awards, sharing all kinds of great information about the TX wine country.
If you did an OTBN this year, whether virtual or not, I’d love to hear about your results. Please share them here.
As an independent wine consultant with WineShop At Home, I absolutely enjoy bringing a taste of the Napa wine country home to you one sip at a time. Whether you simply love to drink wine, seek a special personalized wine gift, or are in search of a new wine jobs opportunity as a wine consultant, feel free to contact me for a truly unique wine tasting experience!
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2 comments
This event proves that wine is best served with friends. Thank you Betty for organizing this fun event. Can’t wait until we can share the wine!
Same!!!