Vintage Port Tongs / Opener

Product Information

With the flair of a Flamenco dancer (another local specialty) the vencencia is thrust into a hole in the barrel, piercing the layer of yeast or flor and taking a sample of wine to be poured from above the head of the venenciador. It’s pretty spectacular especially given that sherry glasses are very small targets. Fortunately the only danger here is spillage, which of course can be a fairly grievous offense if we’re talking about old sherry. Despite numerous practice sessions with water, my venencia wisely remains a conversation piece.

The port tongs guarantees an experience beyond the usual besides the functional and easy opening of your valued old bottles. 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 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 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. 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.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. 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. Heated tongs are thought to be the best means of opening old bottles of vintage port. About theVintage Port Tongs

Are you searching for a good corkscrew but unsure what to look for? Ergonomics is always a wise thing to take into consideration, and a good corkscrew must therefore be with a comfortable grip. There are several details and design solutions that you can choose between. For example, you can get corkscrews such as: 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. 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.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? The idea and the concept is designed for opening port bottles, but of course it can be used for all kinds of still wines. 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 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.

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.

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. 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.

Alright, now that we have that out of the way, here are the details of how tongs are used to open a wine bottle: 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. Throughout the history of wine, decanters have played a significant role in the serving of wine. No more so is this tradition than the serving of Vintage Port. Decanters come in all shapes and sizes, the flat based Ship's decanter being commonly used for Port. Rather more obscure and rare is the Hoggit, a round-bottomed decanter that cannot be put down unless resting on its wooden base, thus ensuring that guests keep passing it round the table. 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.

Use a champagne sabre, and start the party with a bang

Enjoy the Port Tongs that multiple James Beard Award Winning and Michelin Rated Restaurants rely on for their wine and port service. 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. 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. 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]