Get ready for Open That Bottle Night 2010 on February 27 (photo by Kenn Stearns)

Wall Street Journal columnists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher invented Open That Bottle Night on the last Saturday of every February to encourage us to open that special bottle of wine we’ve been saving for a memorable occasion. For us, most of those special occasions never came and by the time we got around to opening it, that bottle of wine we’d been tenderly caring for had turned into expensive vinegar. Over the years my wife Karen contributed our stories to Dottie’s and John’s column – we’re not really on a first name basis with them but their writing is personal enough to make us think we are. Sadly, thanks to Rupert Murdoch Dottie’s and John’s last Tastings column was December 26, 2009. The column ended with this mysterious unexplained paragraph:

This is our 579th—and last—”Tastings” column. The past 12 years—a full case!—have been a joy, not because of the wine but because we had an opportunity to meet so many of you, both in person and virtually. Thank you.

We encourage all our friends to actively participate in Open That Bottle Night. If you don’t have a special bottle of wine hidden away at home there is always a friendly wine merchant or Sommelier who will gladly provide artful assistance. And to Dottie and John, where ever they are, cheers!