Sommelier Opening Wax Sealed Wine (Video)
This is a follow-up to our last blog about wax seals and my video is at the end. Most wines have corks with metal or plastic capsules over them and screw cap wines are on the rise. However, there are a number of wines with corks sealed with wax. Marcel Lapierre puts all of his Cru Beaujolais in wax sealed bottles and Raveneau Chablis and Domaine Leroy Burgundies are also finished this way. Domestically, Brewer-Clifton’s wines are under wax seal as are many wines from Liquid Farm, Dragonette, Booker, Dunn and Wren Hop. This is by no means a complete list internationally or domestically. Despite many great wines around the world sealed this way, one New York City restaurant beverage director posted after my last blog, “I refuse to buy wines with wax seals”. Also, the failed attempt to open the bottle pictured above was by the wife of a Master Sommelier who shall go nameless but shares a roof with me.
The Court of Master Sommeliers has not developed a service standard for wax seals and I cannot find any standards from other wine or sommelier credentialing bodies or associations. Here is a Houston Press blog on the topic that proposes different solutions than mine and has good close up photos. Here is the video I made on table side service. I hope this is helpful to restaurateurs, retailers, wholesalers, producers and consumers alike.
Video of Wax Sealed Wine Opening with Master Sommelier
Have you tried heating a wax sealed bottle with water or your hand? Are there any other service videos you would like us to create or wine or service questions you would like us to write about?
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