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. 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. Corkscrews vary in their style from the classic waiters’ friend, most commonly used in the restaurant environment, to Screwpulls and even ‘The Rabbit’. 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. 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 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.

Port tongs are brilliant for old bottles

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.

The idea and the concept is designed for opening port bottles, but of course it can be used for all kinds of still wines. 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.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 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. 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.

Heated tongs are thought to be the best means of opening old bottles of vintage port. About theVintage Port Tongs 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? 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. Initially 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. 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

The T-shaped corkscrew is a great basic

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.