Vintage Port Tongs / Opener

Product Information

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. 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 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.

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! These different variants will help you open a bottle of wine, but some have more features than others. A winged corkscrew is a classic that is easy to use, and a waiter’s friend has everything you need to remove foil and cork without bending it. Benefits of a waiter’s friendInitially the tongs must be heated until the tongs are hot and red. This can be done in an open fireplace or over a gas burner. Start a hot fire. When we say hot, we mean hot. Let a bunch of wood burn down for a long time so that you have a deep core of glowing hot embers at the base. You need these hot embers to get the tongs hot enough, just holding them in flames is not hot enough. Alternatively, starting a pile of hot charcoal in your barbecue is another good source of heat to heat up your port tongs. Let’s pay a visit to the outer fringes of the wine accessories world – a sometimes dangerous place where bottle tops are cut off, wine is poured from the ceiling and the glasses hold entire bottles – to find our perfect gift. Alright, now that we have that out of the way, here are the details of how tongs are used to open a wine bottle:

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. Heated tongs are thought to be the best means of opening old bottles of vintage port. About theVintage Port Tongs 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.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. 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. 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. The electric corkscrew may resemble a pepper grinder at first sight, but it is a sought-after tool that makes it much easier to open a bottle of wine for people with arthritis, for example. The T-shaped corkscrew is a great basic The tongs are still iron with a burnished finish with polished wood handles , which are finished in steel. Port tongs are easy to use. Place the jaws in an open fire or over the alighted gas ring and warm to red heat. (You can use a camping gas stove for this process). At the same time, place a feather or piece of cloth in water to soak.

The port tongs guarantees an experience beyond the usual besides the functional and easy opening of your valued old bottles. 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.

Why choose an electric corkscrew?

The fact that the cork is fully penetrated is the weakness of this type of corkscrew, as you risk that the cork crumbles. It also takes a while to liberate the cork from the spiral after use. Try the lever corkscrew Enjoy the Port Tongs that multiple James Beard Award Winning and Michelin Rated Restaurants rely on for their wine and port service. 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.

Corkscrews vary in their style from the classic waiters’ friend, most commonly used in the restaurant environment, to Screwpulls and even ‘The Rabbit’. The idea and the concept is designed for opening port bottles, but of course it can be used for all kinds of still wines. 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. A champagne sabre is great for special occasions, such as graduation, anniversaries, birthdays, weddings or the like. It is also a good gift idea for those looking for a little extra something. Port tongs are brilliant for old bottles 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.

Which corkscrew to choose?

The waiter’s friend is a favourite among many sommeliers. That is why it is also called a sommelier knife, and others call it a wine key. The tool is reliable and easy to work with, and you have everything you need to open a wine bottle in one product. 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. 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. 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] Proceed with service of the port as usual, ideally decanting the wine from the bottle into a decanter for service. Most people prefer to use a strainer of some time, such as a cheesecloth-lined funnel, to be sure that no glass shards or wine sediment makes it into the decanter.