On my first date with Marty, I brought the wine and fine wine glasses but forgot the corkscrew. It would have been disastrous but home was not far away (and she married me anyway). But having wine and no corkscrew is worse than trying to eat a dip of ice cream without a cone or spoon. In do-or-die desperation one might try to push the cork into the bottle then hold the cork back with something like a straw while pouring. It can be done, but only as a last resort.
I now keep corkscrews in the car, in the picnic basket, in my overnight bag and, of course, in the kitchen and wine cellar.
Wine openers come in numerous types. Selecting one is a matter of personal preference as long as one important no-no is kept in mind. Do not use the post or auger type. The business end of a corkscrew or worm should be spiral with an open center similar to a pig’s tail. The auger style corkscrew drills a hole through the middle of the cork and has less leverage for pulling the cork out. When it fails removing the cork becomes especially difficult and most likely there will be bits of cork in the wine.
My preference, after using most types, has come to be the pocket-sized waiter’s corkscrew. It looks much like a pocket knife. The worm and a knife blade for cutting the foil are folded safely away when not in use. This most common type of corkscrew is quick and easy to use after a little practice.
This type of corkscrew comes in many styles, some cheap and flimsy, others elaborate and costly. Apparently the first corkscrew of this type was developed in 1829 in the small French village of Laguiole. The Laguiole opener has a graceful, curved handle. It’s a collector’s item.
The winged corkscrew is maybe as common as any. It has a circular rim that is placed over the lip of the bottle. As the worm is screwed into the cork, the wings go up. The wings are pushed down to remove the cork. Personally, I don’t like this type opener. My hands always get in the path of the wings.
Another popular, and very efficient, type of opener is the lever pull or rabbit corkscrew. The top of the bottle is gripped by squeezing two handles – pliers fashion—while a third lever is used to push the worm into the cork and then to extract it. Lever pull corkscrews come in counter top or standup models which are especially quick and easy to operate. Only drawback, another item, knife or foil cutter, is needed to remove the foil.
The two-pronged or Ah So opener has two slim metal prongs that are slipped into the bottle with a rocking motion at opposite edges of the cork – between cork and glass. Then a pull and twist removes the cork. This type of opener is also known as the “silent butler” because the cork can be removed without damage and thus the butler supposedly can sneak a sip without being caught.
The air pump opener works by pumping air into the space in the bottle between wine and cork until the pressure forces the cork to pop out. Wine enthusiasts, however, do not recommend pumping air into a fine wine.
So pick the opener you prefer. Just don’t forget it.
