Vintage Port Tongs / Opener

Product Information

There are many different corkscrews to choose from on the market, and all of them are specifically designed and developed to solve the same task. Finding the best corkscrew is about getting the one that suits you the best. Whether you prefer a specific colour, or if a fun and unusual feature makes you prefer a certain corkscrew over another is totally up to you. What is important is that you are happy using your favourite corkscrew. What makes a good corkscrew? Disclaimer and Safety Note!!! - We do not recommend you try using port tongs or anything like them to open a bottle of port unless you really know what you are doing. Playing with fire can result in serious injury. Additionally, the tongs get extremely hot and can cause burns. The bottle can explode, sending shards of hot glass everywhere. We do not recommend you try this at home and will not be held responsible for accidents that result from the use of port tongs. Opening a special bottle of Wine or Port? Your best course of action is likely to bypass the cork as it could be compromised and could negatively impact the flavor of the Port. In recent years there has been an explosion of different shaped wine glasses into the market, all professing their ability to deliver the most amazing of wine experiences through their individual shape and design. For this we should be grateful, as it allows us to say farewell to the dreaded Paris goblet, the Schooner or the thimble size glass that has been the bane of Port wine through the ages. If the corkscrew has a folding knife, it is a good thing if the blade is curved. Such a curved blade will cut a fine cut along the bottle's capsule. Choose the classic winged corkscrew

The use of a wine funnel whilst decanting not only holds the added benefit of stopping any unwanted cork or sediment from entering into your decanter, but also promotes oxygenation of the wine, bringing out the full flavours of the wine and ensuring a full wine experience. If you do not have a funnel, a steady hand and perhaps some muslin cloth to catch any of the wines sediment – will deliver just as good an end result. To the great benefit of people with reduced strength in their hands, the electric corkscrew is an ingenious thing. They come in various designs, but the concept is the same. Inside a cylinder is a small motor that drives the spiral down through the cork which is pulled up through the spiral. The longer you spin the spiral through the cork, the more the plunger is automatically lifted out of the bottle while the spiral pierces the cork.

Why choose an electric corkscrew?

Port tongs were invented in the 18 th century as a way to cleanly decapitate bottles of vintage port whose old corks might otherwise break or disintegrate with the use of a corkscrew. Hold the ring end of the tongs in the base of the fire for several minutes until they are thoroughly heated. Unless they are really hot, this won't work!

The tongs are intended for use when the cork cannot be removed with a normal corkscrew, such as old corks that would break apart and crumble into the wine. [2] This is more common for high-alcohol fortified wines, such as port: the alcohol acts as a natural preservative, allowing the wine to be aged for decades. The tongs can be used for any type of bottle, but are generally uncommon. [3] Outside of Portugal, they are typically only found in very well-equipped, high-end establishments. [1] Can the wire be partially untwisted, such that it can be threaded through itself before being attached to the handles? That might reduce the rotation torque applied to the bottle. If you are anything like me, you love to open bottles of wine. There are many ways to open a bottle of wine and extract the sweet nectar that lies within. There are many options at your disposal: a corkscrew, an Ah-So, a Champagne Saber,a screw and hammer, and even a shoe to open up a wine bottle. My favorite, however, is the port tong. Do not feel that you have to spend a fortune on your Port glasses, but do use a well proportioned, good quality glass to really enjoy the powerful aromas and flavour profiles that Port wine offers. You would not put a fine white Burgundy or expensive claret into a tiny glass, so why do this to a fine Port wine? Do not mute the wine, but flatter it by affording it the correct glass.While this sounds entirely practical, in the world of wine accessories the port tong is a bit like the velvet choker: out of style. This is partly because vintage port isn’t exactly flying off the shelves these days. Not all Port wine styles are sealed with a driven cork, some styles such as Aged Tawny Ports, or Late Bottled Vintage Port use a stopper cork, which allows the wine to be resealed on a number of occasions and easily removed by hand. All Vintage Port wines are closed with a natural cork and therefore need to be neatly opened with a good corkscrew.

How Do You Use Port Tongs?For those of you who are really gung-ho and into port, trying to open your next bottle with tongs may be an exciting proposition. However, it is not always easy and if done poorly can ruin your bottle, make a mess, and more importantly, can be quite dangerous! If you are interested regardless, read on. Alright, now that we have that out of the way, here are the details of how tongs are used to open a wine bottle:

Use a self-pulling corkscrew

The conceptual design behind the so-called screwpull corkscrew was created in 1979 by American oil drilling engineer Herbert Allen. The self-pulling corkscrew is quite simple, with a very long spiral and a base with a two-arm handle to hold the top of the bottle. Corkscrews vary in their style from the classic waiters’ friend, most commonly used in the restaurant environment, to Screwpulls and even ‘The Rabbit’. The most widely used corkscrew-type is the winged corkscrew which most of us are familiar with. With the two very characteristic wings that rise into the air like the arms, the appearance is easily recognised. Often very old vintage port wines have very soft and highly delicate corks that are very fragile. Therefore it can be quite a challenge to open a bottle without the cork crumbling into the wine. Port tongs are a unique way to open a wine bottle. Traditionally use in Oporto and England to open very old bottles of port, the use of tongs to open port nowadays is rare but a sight to behold. The use of tongs is for some a romantic and exciting way to serve and highlight a great bottle of ancient port. Even if you don't use them, having a pair of tongs hanging on your wall is a fun decoration and conversation piece.