Have you ever purchased a bottle of wine where the top of the bottle was dipped in wax? Did you have problems cutting around the top of the bottle to try and remove the wax before you could see and access the cork with your corkscrew? I’ve been frustrated in the past. Jeff Hundertmark, the winemaker from Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery, gave me a demo to show how easy it is to open a bottle dipped in wax. He noted that not all wax is the same. Mt. Boucherie dips their bottle necks in a special wax imported from Italy that is more pliable. He said the wax they use has a duller colour and is easier when removing the cork. If you see very shiny wax from another winery, that bottle may be harder to open.
Here is a video I made of Jeff who demonstrated how easy it is to open a bottle neck dipped in wax. He uses a waiter’s corkscrew, which I think is great to use. I am not sure how the wing or lever types would work. If you try to open one of these wax-capped bottles with a wing or lever-type corkscrew, please post your comment. Thanks.
