Opening a wax covered Port bottle

I have a bottle of Port that has been in my cellar for 25 years or so. I has a heavy wax shell over the cork. Short of using the traditional hot-iron-on-the-cool-bottle-neck trick, what's the best way to open it: just chip off the wax or what?

John, Hi......

One way of doing it is to soak a small hand towel in hot water, to wrap that not around the whole bottle but just around the neck. In a few moments the wax will have softened enough that it can be removed easily with the use of a butter knife. The warming of the neck will not in that way have the undesired effect of warming the wine..

But if you do drink enough of these, especially of older wines, Port tongs are romantic, dramatic and great fun. Such tongs are invaluable in opening Port wines of over 40 years old when the corks are almost invariably impossible to remove whole.

As to your own wine, now cellared for 25 years - that may have a cork that is either very difficult or impossible to remove whole. First try opening with an ah-so (pronged) opener. If that does not work the cork should push easily and whole (but do it very slowly and carefully) into the bottle. To pour simply insert a metal or wood skewer to hold the cork away from the neck. Pour first into your own glass as if there are any cork crumbs they will go into your own glass and not into the glass of one of your guests.

Worst possible circumstance, the cork will crumble on removal. If that happens decant through a tea strainer (but under no circumstances a coffee filter).


Best
Rogov

Thank you, Rogov. I will do as you suggest.
JP