How to use a Port tongs & decant a bottle of Vintage Port

[Roy Hersh]

On the horizontal version, do you believe they provide a solid fit on the neck?

[Moses Botbol]

On the horizontal version, do you believe they provide a solid fit on the neck?

The fit around the neck is the same, but that also depends on how the tong was constructed. It's just easier to maneuver the tongs when horizontal.

I would like to see some design changes to way tongs clamp to the neck. Maybe some time I'll release my updated version of port tongs... "Port Tongs 2.0"

[Andy Velebil]

I've added a couple of pics of the two types, just so people have an idea of what the two types are.

I've found the horizontal ones work better on a very limited number of older types of wine bottles (such as old Taylors VP or magnum bottles) where the necks are much larger in diameter. The horizontal tongs tend to have a larger diameter "circle", which is the part that clamps the bottle neck.

But the vertical ones work better on most bottles made in the past 30 years and many more old bottles where the neck diameter is quite narrow. That is why I have a pair of each and use the one that happens to fit the particular bottle I am opening. However, I do use the vertical tongs much more, at a rate of probably 5 to 1. So if you can only get one, I would recommend getting the vertical style tongs.

As you can see by the pictures below, the vertical style tongs (top picture) don't fully close around the old style, larger bottle neck. Where the horizontal style tong (bottom picture) closes around the neck with no problem.

[Roy Hersh]

Excellent. We are seriously crazy geeks. Anyone not into wine who sees this thread would think that psychotherapy would work better than tongs. The photos are perfect for understanding the topic and I hope that Andy will also load both onto PORTraits!

[Roy Hersh]

I've decided to move this to Port Basics for future archival purposes.