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. 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.

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. 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. 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. 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.

Choose the classic winged corkscrew

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.

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 secret to opening a bottle of Vintage Port is not simply about the corkscrew, but the manner in which you go about opening the bottle. Do not rush it, gently ease the cork from its position, so as to remove the cork as cleanly and smoothly as possible. Do not worry about a cork snapping, or even crumbling. This will not affect the taste of the wine and any of the unwanted cork that may have fallen into the Port wine, will be removed when it is decanted through a funnel into the decanter.

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. 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. 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.

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

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

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