Wax Seals on wine bottles ?

[fatbloke]

Historically, wax was used to give a final seal to a bottle (and I don't just mean spirits bottles).

I was wondering what kind of wax might have been used as I'd hoped to dip finished bottles for a pleasant looking effect.

I have some "sealing wax" and thought about mixing it with parafin wax to give it a nice red colour.

Does anyone know what the exact material originally used was ? And where I might be able to get some ?

regards

fatbloke

[Hippie]

I don't think the wine can 'breathe' through the cork if the cork is covered in wax. Pretty sure this is a no-no.

[fatbloke]

I don't think the wine can 'breathe' through the cork if the cork is covered in wax. Pretty sure this is a no-no.

I know that with spirits, wax capping was to prevent loss i.e. "the angels share" with evaporation of the alcohol element.

I also understood that it was to prevent oxidisation when poor quality corks were used with wine - the breathing bit, is, as I understand, connected with allowing some air to red wines (bordeaux, clarets, etc etc) when actually drinking.

Obviously the corks available today tend to be of a better quality so I'd only hoped to do this for aesthetic reasons - hell it looks so much nicer than plastic shrink caps.

Plus I need to work this out so when I actually get round to bottling my spirits I don't loose any over time (yes I intended to do the traditional glass bottle, corked and then wax sealed).

regards

fatbloke

[Mamgiowl]

I don't think the wine can 'breathe' through the cork if the cork is covered in wax. Pretty sure this is a no-no.

What about screw caps? Wine can't breathe through them.

[Hippie]

Good points.

Why not just use screwtop bottles then?

[Zebedee]

Good points.

Why not just use screwtop bottles then?

I think.. aesthetics / tradition are his main concern.