Of all the wine “holidays” (Cabernet Day, Chardonnay Day, etc), Open That Bottle Night (“OTBN”) is my favorite. That’s because it’s a great opportunity for fellowship around food and wine, and making memories with the special people in our lives.

OTBN was created by former Wall Street Journal wine columnists Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher. It’s the one night a year that we are all encouraged to get out that bottle of wine that is so special that no occasion seems special enough to actually open it.

My wife and I have been celebrating (and hosting) OTBN since 2010. After one of our wine-loving friends hosted a magnificent OTBN last year, it was our turn this year.

An Italian Theme OTBN — The table is set…let’s get it started!

As is my wont, I picked the wine, then decided on the food. A quick story behind my wine…We adore Barolo, but it’s a treat for us, so we rarely drink it (which of course makes no sense) The 2001 Conterno Fantino Barolo Sorì Ginestra has been in our cellar for five years! Not so long for wine collectors, but I consider myself more of a wine drinker…so five years was plenty long!

Once I decided on the wine, I decided to prepare a favorite we hadn’t had in years – Cook’s Illustrated’s Hearty Italian Meat Sauce (Sunday Gravy). It’s their take on an Italian-American meat sauce recipe that didn’t require a long list of ingredients and many hours to prepare. It includes Italian sausage, baby back ribs, and time-consuming braciole is replaced with standout meatballs. And I do mean standout – the best meatballs I’ve ever eaten!

The evening by the numbers, four and a half hours, eleven people, eleven wines, and 33 wine glasses!

Here are the wine and food menus — you will have to imagine the stories.

The Wine Menu (our contributions in bold italic)

Sparkling Wines:

Mitchell Katz

Christophe Mignon Champagne Extra Brut

2009 Louise Brison Champagne Millésimé Brut

Germano Ettore Langhe Nebbiolo Rosanna Rosé Brut

The Italian Wines

2010 Castello di Volpaia Balifico Toscana IGT

2001 Conterno Fantino Barolo Sorì Ginestra

2014 Saracco Moscato d’Asti

The Cal-Ital, California and Washington Wines

2009 Seghesio Family Vineyards Quindici Toscana IGT

2010 Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon

2004 Mark Ryan Dead Horse Ciel du Cheval Vineyard

2010 V. Sattui Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 125th Anniversary

Click on the photos below to enlarge and see slide show

The Cal-Ital, California and Washington wines

The Food Menu

Assorted Cheese and Charcuterie

Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Butternut Squash Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing

Sunday Gravy (Hearty Italian Meat Sauce)

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Crack Pie

The Wines

Here are my tasting notes on the wines we contributed:

Germano Ettore Langhe Nebbiolo Rosanna Rosé Brut – Retail; $30 Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC
Pale pink color with bread crust, raspberry, strawberry, and a hint of dried rose aromas. On the palate it’s very dry with a creamy mousse, and an elegant, fresh, round character with raspberry, strawberry, and lemon flavors with a satisfying clean crisp finish. 100% Nebbiolo. Very Good; 88-89 pts

2001 Conterno Fantino Barolo Sorì Ginestra – Retail; $129 Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Medium-red color with enticing aromas of dried cherries, plum, mushroom, cedar wood, tobacco, and a bit of spice. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, very concentrated, yet harmonious, with great texture and dried cherry, plum, and spice flavors with an appealing minerality, and velvety tannins that build with time in the mouth. Long finish.Outstanding; 93-94 pts (WS – 99pts WA – 94pts WE – 93pts)

2014 Saracco Moscato d’Asti – Retail; $13 Italy, Piedmont, Asti, Moscato d’Asti
My first Moscato d’Asti! And it was very good. It’s a pretty golden-yellow color with perfumed, peach, apricot, white flower and a hint of citrus aromas. On the palate, it’s smooth, clean and fresh with a light fizziness. It’s sweet, but nicely balanced with candied peach, pear and a bit of citrus flavors. I purchased on a hunch hoping it would pair well with Crack Pie. And I was right! Twas a wonderful pairing! Very Good; 88-89 pts

The wine of the night for me was the Barolo, but the Castello di Volpaia Balifico (a Super Tuscan) was also outstanding. The Mark Ryan Dead Horse, also outstanding, was my favorite non-Italian Wine, and the Christophe Mignon Champagne Extra Brut (100% Pinot Meunier) was my favorite sparkling wine.

The Pairings

I chose to serve the Germano Ettore Langhe Nebbiolo Rosanna Rosé Brut with the Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Butternut Squash Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing. I thought it was a very good pairing. The freshness of the sparkling Nebbiolo was a great counterpoint to the richness of the hot bacon dressing, while complementing the flavors of the roasted vegetables. Each setting included three glasses. I recommended we try the Italian wine first. The Barolo was wonderful with the main dish, but I though the Castello di Volpaia Balifico Super Tuscan was even better because it was more full-bodied than the Barolo and stood up to the “weight” of the meat sauce a bit better. I Mark Ryan Dead Horse, a blend of (mostly) Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot was also quite good with the main course.

The highlight of the evening was the Crack Pie. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve made it, and damn was it worth the worth! They don’t call it “Crack Pie” for nothin’ y’all! It’s that good! And it was wonderful paired with the Moscato d’Asti!

It was a delightful evening with memorable wines, a wonderful food, and the making of memories. And isn’t that what Open That Bottle Night is really about?

Be sure to check out these special wines, pairings and cherished memories from my fellow #winePW bloggers!

Culinary Adventure with Camilla posted “Dracaena’s Cabernet Franc with Steak au Poivre et Thé“
Curious Cuisiniere is pairing “Teriyaki Salmon and Pinot Noir“
Dracaena Wines shared “When Will Some Day Be? Open That Bottle Now“
Tasting Pour is posting “Steak Diane and Bell Cab Sauvignon“/li>
Rockin Red Blog is sharing “Open That Bottle Night with a Beautiful Italian“
Pull That Cork blogged about “Wine, Friends and Food: Our OTBN and #winePW Evening“
L’Occasion is sharing “Wines of Les Baux-de-Provence to Enjoy with Steak Frites“
foodwineclick posted “Are You Kidding Me? Rosé for OTBN?”
The Armchair Sommelier shared “OTBN: A Pipe, a Port, and a Pudding“
Cooking Chat posted “Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms and a Burgundy“

If you are catching this post early enough, you can join our live Twitter Chat on Saturday, March 12, at 11 a.m. ET, via the Twitter hashtag #winePW. If you missed the March #winePW fun, you can always join us for the next month’s event. In April we will be talking about Spring Meal Pairings for Southern Rhone Wines, hosted by Jill at L’Occasion. You can get the full list of past and upcoming #winePW event here.

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