One of my favorite wineries in California is Artiste in Los Olivos on the Central Coast. Bion Rice the master blender (all Artiste wines are blends) of Artiste and winemaker and manager of Sunstone Wines, puts wax seals on all Artiste bottles. A number of wineries do this, mostly for aesthetic purposes. The wax seal can also serve to prove the the wine has not been tampered with.

So how best to open a bottle with a wax seal? Many wine openers will not work with these seals because the wax gives the top too large a circumference for them to fit over the bottle top. So electric openers are out, as are some others.

Many try to chip the wax off of the bottle with a sharp knife, the tip of their corkscrew or the little knife used to remove foil coverings from the bottle. These can work, but can lead to injury, to pieces of wax flying around the room, and to an unsatisfactory result.

The best way to open these bottles is with a Waiter’s Friend or a winged corkscrew. Simply put the corkscrew through the middle of the wax top and into the cork. When it is properly seated, remove the cork as you normally would. The wax will come with it. Then, enjoy your wine!