The wax is a plug & does not cover the top of the bottle. The cork is actually below the top of the bottle about 1/4 inch to allow room to insert the coin shape piece of hard wax which has to be pried out of the bottle. The producer was Zind Humbrecht. Thank you for your time & expertice. Dr, Donald Holzberg
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
Thanks for adding more information to your original question. I'm not surprised the producer is Zind Humbrecht. As a certified organic and biodynamic estate, their wines are crafted with extreme attention to detail. Their wines are always of very high quality and are a lesson in terroir expression; they also tend toward richness and even opulence, allowing for grape variety, vintage and site. Their vineyard holdings are very extensive, so I wonder exactly which Gewurztraminer you have (Hengst, Clos Windsbuhl?). Some who dip the entire neck of the bottle in wax do so both for the image it conveys and the belief that a thick wax covering may more perfectly seal the bottle from oxygen. A coin-shaped plug on top, if sufficiently thick, could serve a similar purpose, and might be relevant for wines intended for long cellaring. In my opinion, wax used in this fashion is largely a decorative accent since it is likely to create an exposed area around the plug where it is in contact with the glass. There are variations of this "plug" concept on a varied range of wines. At the very least, it's an attractive packaging touch.
