Australian wine label Penfolds will bring its “Re-Corking Clinic” to Hong Kong on Aug. 22–23, offering collectors a chance to have aged bottles inspected, authenticated, and re-corked under the supervision of its chief winemaker.
The event, to be held at The Upper House and led by Chief Winemaker Peter Gago and Winemaker Shavaughn Wells, will provide one-on-one services designed to extend the life of Penfolds wines and safeguard their provenance.
Launched in 1991, the Re-Corking Clinic was inspired by the late Max Schubert, Penfolds’ legendary winemaker, who would personally replace corks for friends. The service is available for Penfolds bottles at least 15 years old, sealed with cork, and never previously re-corked. Since its inception, the program has assessed more than 200,000 bottles worldwide, making stops in Melbourne, London, New York, Tokyo, Singapore, and Shanghai.
During the process, winemakers open each bottle, inspect the wine, top it up with the same vintage, re-seal it, and issue a signed certificate—providing collectors with authoritative proof of the wine’s condition and authenticity. The certification is prized in the secondary market, with past clinics seeing bottles from the 1940s and 1950s brought in for service, further cementing Penfolds’ reputation as an expert in wine ageing.
Hong Kong, one of Asia’s most mature fine wine markets and home to an active collector base, last hosted the Re-Corking Clinic in 2011 and 2017. Over those two events, more than 400 rare bottles were serviced, including Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon, Bin 90A, and Bin 747 Claret, as well as inaugural vintages of Magill Estate Shiraz and RWT. Many bottles dated back to the 1940s and 1950s, underscoring local collectors’ appetite for rare and prestigious wines.
“We are excited to return to Hong Kong, where collectors truly appreciate legacy and provenance,” Gago said. “Every Clinic is unique, each bottle tells a different story, and our role is to help those stories endure.”
Participation is by advance booking only. Bottles must meet the official “green zone” or “amber zone” fill-level standards to qualify for assessment or re-corking, according to Penfolds. Wines in the Green zone do not require re-corking, while those in the Amber zone will benefit from it. Wines in the Red zone are no longer certifiable and will not be re-corked. A digital fill-level measuring tool is available on the company’s website for self-checks.
Discover more from Vino Joy News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
