What is your normal tool used to open your Port bottles?

Post by **Roy Hersh** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:10 am

There are so many products out there. I tend to use different ones depending on the age and condition of the bottle. I use a waiter's friend, an Ah So, Screwpull and others.

I am curious as to what others use to extract new and old corks from Port bottles. Thanks.

Moses Botbol · Post by **Moses Botbol** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:50 pm

I've had good luck the Rabbit. Perfect centering, precise leverage. I also use a waiters corkscrew and pull out the cork like a t-handle.

Rich Greenberg · Post by **Rich Greenberg** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:54 pm

Lever pull, screwpull and waiter's friend on younger ones. Very cautious use of the screwpull with older ones (hey, it's all I got.)

R

Johannes Stadler · Post by **Johannes Stadler** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 2:16 pm

I began with the normal waiters friend, then the Screwpull which i like better becaus it bends the cork less, and last time i used the Ah-So which was very nice except it rips on the sides of the cork.

I look forward to buing some tongs, but we'll see - hard to find them in Europe...

Post by **Andy Velebil** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 3:07 pm

Waiters friend and Ah-so mostly, depending on the corks condition. And for those old corks that i know will not come out in one piece, and where I dont plan on keeping the bottle, the Tongs.

Jay Powers · Post by **Jay Powers** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 11:02 am

When at home, I always use a waiter's friend, which is all I have. For me this seems to work as good or better than anything else.

Jay

simon Lisle · Post by **simon Lisle** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 2:18 pm

I must admit Roy I use the same method as you depending upon age

Kris Henderson · Post by **Kris Henderson** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 1:16 pm

Ah-so for nearly everything. It's simple and effective. Some day I'd like to give port tongs a try though.

Todd Pettinger · Post by **Todd Pettinger** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 1:24 pm

The Ah-so is my tool of choice. I have resorted to a waiter's friend on occasion or to get stubborn bits of broken cork that are still stuck in the neck out. I have a Screwpull which I sometimes use for normal bottles of wine, particularly the cheaper ones my wife enjoys which come with a majority of plastic-y fake corks. I have once resorted to the corkscrew on my swiss army knife (in a hotel room and it worked great), which is actually pretty flat instead of rounded and seems to be decent at getting into the cork without pushing it down.

Todd

Eric Ifune · Post by **Eric Ifune** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 6:24 pm

Waiters friend, but if I feel the cork is soft and the interior is as risk of ripping out, I'll switch to the Ah-So. Since my trip to Gaia, however, I've been using the tongs as much as possible.

Raj Patil · Post by **Raj Patil** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 7:49 pm

Thanks to this the Ah-So. Warning, however, don't let a relative try it for the first time in front of a group. Let's say plunge splash and a red face (and not due to port splashin up on him)

Todd Pettinger · Post by **Todd Pettinger** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 8:43 pm

Right... and I forgot to include - I want a set of port tongs so I can try this out as soon as possible.

Todd

nicos neocleous · Post by **nicos neocleous** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 11:25 am

simon Lisle wrote:I must admit Roy I use the same method as you depending upon age

I agree.