For The Love Of Port

I feel terrible having to delete posts here that had commercial interests and links to ebay.com

IF you folks want to do that ... please do so on the Port and Madiera Marketplace.

Jeez, I HATE soundling like Mark Squires! :twisted:

Folks,

Just a plea from someone who doesn't own any port tongs (yet), but would you please post the links to the ebay port tongs sale on the Marketplace discussion board. I fully understand why Roy feels strongly about keeping this part of the forum free of commercials and would fully support that view.

However, I am also very pleased that we have the market place and would ask for you to post the links that were previously on this thread, over there. I've seen Andy's pictures (thanks Andy!) and caught the enthusiasm in his posting and think I might have a go at tongs one day.

Thinking about it, my wife and children are always nagging me that I don't give them ideas for Birthday and Christmas presents.....

Thanks,

Alex

Roy Hersh wrote:That's the problem with inexperienced photographers easily distracted and missing "the money shot."

Andy, is there any truth to the rumor that the photos stopped due to the photographer noticing that deep gash in your hand and having to take you to the emergency room?

I hope you are feeling and healing better now!

Thanks for those photos.

Roy,
Actually I was too embarrased to go the ER, so I just whipped out an old needle and thread from my late grandmothers old sewing kit, had a swig of whiskey, bit down on an old piece of leather, and stiched myself up :twisted:

bridgema wrote:Folks,

I've seen Andy's pictures (thanks Andy!) and caught the enthusiasm in his posting and think I might have a go at tongs one day. Thinking about it, my wife and children are always nagging me that I don't give them ideas for Birthday and Christmas presents.....

Thanks,

Alex

Alex,

You got to get a pair of tongs, they were the most fun I've had opening a bottle of wine, EVER :!: I guarantee you will love 'em. If someone hasn't already done it, I will track down the ebay link and post it in the market place section.

Cool pics - thanks.

I will be trying mine out shortly.

I'll post in the marketplace how to find them on ebay.

Have a look at this site:

http://www.garrafeiranacional.com/shop/ ... ts_id=3236


Are these port tongs (can't speak Portuguese and not really sure). If so, these seem good value if they'll ship them.

Yes, they are. But these are more decorative port tongs. The metal is not of good quality.

Hello Jean Philippe,

I tried sending a PM but it didn't leave my outbox.

I ordered a set of tongs about two weeks ago and wanted to find out any shipping information or schedules.

Will you expect to have more in the future in case I want to give some as gifts?

Heh, I think this is now the longest running post. It is up to 4 pages now

OK, I guess i should just go back to my glass of port now, sorry :twisted:

Jean Philippe,

I'm a bit behind on this string :? ; I think it became unmanageably long before I spotted it and I thought the tongs were a one-off. I've sent you a pm as I'd like a pair if there are any going spare.

I was asked by email to bring a great thread on PORT TONGS to the fore, from a new FTLOP member who did not find it.

I have a feeling that since the last post here, a few hundred Port bottles have met their executioner with tanazes in hand!

Roy Hersh wrote:It is fun to try and if you have never seen it done, it is better than any bar trick, although watching a large format bottle of Champagne get sabred, is pretty darn cool too. So have any of you used the Port tongs? If so, how did it go?

Works like a charm every time. So easy to do and I don't even worry about it at this point. It's worth clamping the tongs on cold so you know where they'll be on the bottle before heating the tongs up. Some bottles have a thin neck and you could be clamping where the port is, and that may not be a good idea.

I love to sabre Champagne! I've only lost one bottle in a 100+ bottles I've done and I still can't figure out how that one happened. Nothing like a perfect ring around the cork with just a drop lost.

I'm a new "member" and have already had 2 questions answered and help from "tech support" - great. I have used the tongs and it is a fun/challenging experience. Set up a "rube goldberg" contraption with bricks and a plumbers torch to heat the tongs, then applied them to the bottle, but couldn't get it to work. Put in a call to the Solar do Vinho do Porto in Lisbon and in my "best" Portuguese outlined my problem. Answer - after heating, quickly cool the neck(a cold wet rag worked best) and sure enough, it snapped perfectly. Great fun. Got the tongs on ebay.

Ford,

I love using tongs and once you get the hang of it, its quite easy. Besides, playing with fire is always fun

Andy,

Do you use it on bottles that don't necessarily need to be opened this way (e.g. younger VP's) just for the fun of it? I guess my question is: Is it that fun to use?

Tonight we tonged open VPs from 1927-1963 four in all. I can't say that young ones need this but depending on what you view as being fun, using a Port tongs can certainly fit the bill as a fun way to approach your Ports.

Morten O wrote:Andy,

Do you use it on bottles that don't necessarily need to be opened this way (e.g. younger VP's) just for the fun of it? I guess my question is: Is it that fun to use?

Generally no, only on older bottles that need it. The only exception is when someone is over and they've never seen them used.