Does it really matter what type of corkscrew you use to open your fine bottle of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, or Two-Buck Chuck, for that matter? Well, yes, it does. You need a corkscrew that penetrates easily without destroying the structure of the cork (whether natural, synthetic or otherwise). You need one that removes the entire cork with minimal effort. And if you’re a sommelier (I’m not), you need one that you can manipulate easily while holding the bottle in one hand, standing up and engaging your customers in pretentious banter about the bottle you’re just opening.
All corkscrews have a worm – that’s the spiral which engages into the cork. Some corkscrews have wings with a double helix to first insert the worm, then reverse direction to extract the cork (center left and bottom right above). Some are battery powered. Some are lever action – think the Rabbit™ which has been so popular (not pictured). Some have a single hinge that engages the top of the bottle (top right above). Some require plenty of brute force to remove the cork (most of the examples above). But for portability and ease of use, nothing beats the Sommelier’s Corkscrew.
There’s really only one that you’ll see in the hands of professionals, whether the Club’s serving staff or at Somm, Hall’s or any fine New York City restaurant. It’s a double-hinged corkscrew based on a design originally patented in Spain by Pulltex. It’s the Sommelier’s Corkscrew.
Note the two “hinges” on the left side to engage the top of the bottle in two moves, essential if the bottle has a long cork. On some variants, the upper hinge is inset into the side and spring loaded, so that you can push it out, but only if you need to. The two hinges (hence “double-hinged”) are there to minimize the force needed to open the bottle, essential to keep your strength up to lift your glass to your lips later.
It also has a short blade built into the top, to cut off the cap, which has once caused the TSA to confiscate one of mine on the grounds it could be used as a dangerous weapon. But a new one costs under $10 on Amazon, and is worth every penny.
Cheers!
-Submitted by Guy Gimson
(Image credits: Pixabay.com and Vinepair.com)