Aaron Rubin
Grape Stomper
Posts:116
 | | 03/22/2003 4:48 PM |
| | I find it very difficult to get through the wax that is sometimes used on wine bottles in place of a foil capsule. I've received instructions with such bottles (e.g., from Melville) that say to run the wax under warm water for a short time, or warm it up with your hand prior to opening, but neither of these methods softens the wax sufficiently to make any difference in my experience. I always end up just hacking through the wax with a knife. Anyone have a better method? | | | |
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Eric White
San Ramon, CA
Advanced Sommelier
Posts:9146
| | 03/22/2003 4:52 PM |
| | The best way I have found is to use a large, sharp kitchen knife and score it all the way around, then pop it off. Dangerous, always fear I'll loose a digit in the process, but I've found no better method. | | | |
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Aaron Rubin
Grape Stomper
Posts:116
| | 03/22/2003 5:31 PM |
| | That has been more or less my method also, Eric. But, like you, I'm always scared that I'm going to chop off a finger. There must be a better way. | | | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts:8568
| | 03/22/2003 5:35 PM |
| | Melville and Brewer Cliftons wax tops are particularly difficult to get off. With most wax enclosures, I simply slide a knife up underneath the bottom of the wax. I then twist the knife which peels up a side of the wax. Afterwards, I just tug on the wax until it spools off the end of the bottle. | | | |
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skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5452
| | 03/22/2003 5:55 PM |
| | I typically remove the wax just like Jones, start at the bottom with the knife from a waiters corkscrew and slice vertically and then peel the wax off. I've noticed that the Sine Qua Non bottles have very thin waxxing while some other bottles (Delectus) are much thicker. | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15713
| | 03/22/2003 5:57 PM |
| | I just screw the corkscrew right through the wax and into the cork. Then pull hard. It is not that tough and it has worked for me everytime. Some say there is a chance that some wax will get into the bottle but this has never happened to me. And even if it does, so what? I usually take the knife end of the cork screw after the bottle is open and clean away some of the residual wax on the top of the bottle. | | | |
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Lee Ann
Barrel Filler
Posts:1232
| | 03/22/2003 6:47 PM |
| We have had many bottles w/ wax tops and have never had a problem at all. Like David said, just got right through the top w/ your corkscrew and the cork come right through, usually cracking the wax in a nice neat circle at the top. ...like I said, works for us 100% of the time.
Stay away from those knives- dangerous! | | | |
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Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts:13672
| | 03/22/2003 9:38 PM |
| | slice it with a knife, much like Jones described, too. | |
www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
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Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts:4821
| | 03/22/2003 10:33 PM |
| Many of the Napa vintners are now using what is called "chip-less wax". It is thinner and more flexible, so either the slice it up the side trick or the pull the cork through it trick works. Bigger formats tend to get thicker coatings because they are usually done by hand, and the bottles are harder to manuver.
Then there is the old fashion wax that Randy Dunn uses. My dremel tool on slow speed does a fine job. I've also heated the knife on a corkscrew in a candle. Mostly I just curse. | | | |
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Aaron Rubin
Grape Stomper
Posts:116
| | 03/23/2003 3:27 AM |
| | Thanks for all the tips, everyone. It's the hand-dipped ones with extra-thick wax -- like the Melvilles -- that are the problem for me. Had a hell of a time opening a bottle of 2001 Inox Chard last night, which, by the way, is great stuff (and one of the first of many great wines I learned about from Jones -- thanks again Jones!). | | | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts:8568
| | 03/23/2003 3:19 PM |
| | I am glad you liked the wine. It has only improved with a little time in the bottle. The Inox is my current "refrigerator Chard". | | | |
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Tom
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2384
| | 03/24/2003 1:25 AM |
| Hack and chop. I have this on Cuvaison's and V. Sattui's Madeira.
But now, the question. WHY do they do they use this?  | | | |
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skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5452
| | 03/24/2003 1:56 AM |
| The wax seals really really well. No air will get in or out as long as the wax stays intact. It probably also looks pretty cool to the average consumer.
Btw, the problem I have with just putting the corkscrew through the wax is the wax will shatter and you can get pieces in the wine which I consider suboptimal. Also once the bottle is open you really can't go scraping the wax off, there is a good chance the wax will fall into the bottle. I've also noticed that the harder you work at taking the wax off the more likely it is to turn into dust which will be impossible to remove from the wine. | | | |
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Tim
Barrel Filler
Posts:1465
| | 03/24/2003 5:52 PM |
| I just opened a Melville Carrie's over the weekend, just pull right through the wax, don't waste your time and digits messing with it, a cork will pull right through it. Since I started doing it this way, at the advice of forum members, I haven't had a problem with a wax capsule yet.
Try it, you'll like it!  | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Fermenter
Posts:572
| | 03/24/2003 8:24 PM |
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on the "lighter" wax capsules.....just going right through works fine but wears out your screwpull or whatever.
but when it comes to the hand-dipper super capsules out there.....I am thinking of the 2000 HDV red....Oh my god is that thing covered in wax....there is actually a wax bubble on top much bigger then the top of the bottle.....then I go with the Jones technique up the side. | | | |
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GATC
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2420
| | 06/29/2003 4:16 PM |
| I thought I had a post here on how I do it, but I guess it never made it. I use a small paring knife and cut it like I'm peeling an apple (I cut away not towards like most people). It is at a 45 degree angle and peel away until I'm going along the top of the glass. Once I go all around, the top piece comes right off.
I saw a note in the Dunn mailer that is helpful. "If you find chipping the wax away from the cork with the back edge of a knife to be messy, then remove it as they did in France a hundred years ago: rotate the waxed end of the bottle slowly over a candle, the wax can then be sliced from the top as if it were Camembert cheese." | | | |
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