The Auswine Forum

I saw a 'neckless' bottle on the next table at Eleven Madison Park and was fascinated, mentioned it and the fabulously friendly staff started chatting about their hot tong method to avoid dodgy cork removal issues. Not just for port, but for any bottle that may prove difficult to have the cork removed cleanly. (their bottle was a 1995 Barolo, so maybe that particular wine had a history of difficult corks). Here's the video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YcqVwMvGQtU

I'll hazard a guess to say the corkage at that place is not cheap (if indeed they do BYO)! Very impressive though.

Cheers
Ian

yes they allow BYO, and yes, not cheap. But iron tongs, a bunsen burner, some ice water and a barbers brush isn't expensive, surely every lover of aged wine should have this kit.

pffft we do this all the time even with screwcaps

If you are using a double strainer why bother? the fine sediment in a wine is smaller than anything that could come from a cork crumbling. (I didn't listen to it, only watched so may have missed something) or is it more about the show?

Yeah I agree there Dave, no doubt they are worried about lawsuits if any tiny slivers of glass should fall into the bottle. I suppose it also avoid potential issues with really old corks having undesirable mould/fungus type compounds on them and somehow falling into the wine.

I think the show is part of it, point of difference, buying a pricey bottle, get some theatre etc. But bypassing the entire cork fairly quickly and simply would be the main focus. Pity they then feel the need to pass it through a filter, but lots of lawyers dining there I expect!.

Definitely theatre and only in the US methinks

I'm with Dave, if they are then straining, what's the friggin' point?

US wine wankery at its best

Sabre perhaps?

I got the impression from talking to them that speed and efficiency was the primary driving factor. No lengthy (and messy) fiddling around with crumbling corks. I'm sure they enjoy the theatre of it though.

yep, sabrage or bust!

or both!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FYUSISL5xI

It is interesting though. What can I say, I like the theatre.

That was pretty epic. I'd probably lean towards Port tongs in that case.

Let's see Rudi refill and sell these

Plenty of other "tutorials"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye28n_aJspA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabrage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCp9-tEHa8U

[quiet day at work ]

I won't lie, I much preferred the epic fail then the tutorials where it worked

^^ +1

And here shows if at first you don't succeed, they try again (and fail again)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osa_kK7msSY

Everyone knows one uses a log fire

AaronL wrote:And here shows if at first you don't succeed, they try again (and fail again)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osa_kK7msSY

They stupidly did not take the cage off

mjs wrote:

AaronL wrote:And here shows if at first you don't succeed, they try again (and fail again)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osa_kK7msSY

They stupidly did not take the cage off

I found my self yelling that at the Computer.
'TAKE THE CAGE OFF!!!'
My neighbours must thing I'm mad.

And after the bottle is opened you can play fun games branding your steak

In most cases, the Tongs are theater but they do have some merit in certain circumstances.
The first time I saw tongs used in the flesh was in 2011, and it was to open a bottle of vintage port from 1812. I doubt that even the Durand would have got the cork out of that one in one piece.
I have used tongs myself on one occasion but that was for the exercise of trying it than necessity. If you get it right it is a pretty clean edge