Little corkscrew customer
Wine opener: How to elegantly remove the cork from the bottle
Wine openers belong in every household. Half a dozen models and ideas have prevailed over the years. From the classic waiter’s knife to the elegant screw-pull version.
© PeopleImages / Getty Images
In principle, opening a bottle of wine is not an art. But if the noble droplet is blocked with a cork, a kitchen gadget has to be used: the wine opener. What models are available and how they work – an overview.
According to a forecast by the market research institute Statista, on average more than 20 liters of wine and sparkling wine will be consumed per capita in Germany in 2021. For those who don’t want to do the math at this point: that’s more than 28 bottles. And of course they want to be opened before Pinot Gris, Merlot and Co. flow into the glasses. With screw caps this is an easy exercise. They are now widespread because their bad reputation has long since faded away. Nevertheless, many winegrowers and winegrowers’ cooperatives still rely on the traditional cork. And it is difficult to pull it out of the bottleneck without tools. If you disregard one or two pragmatic and rather down-to-earth solutions from the student days. Ultimately, a corkscrew is needed to get the grape juice.
In the following article you will find out which wine openers are available, how they work and which small gadgets should be available for a successful wine evening.
Wine opener: Electric or muscle power?
Basically, wine openers can be divided into manual and electric models. The latter, however, tend to be among the kitchen appliances that people like to give away but rarely buy themselves. One can discuss excellently about the sense and nonsense of electric wine openers. Most wine drinkers presumably dare to open a corked bottle with muscle power. There are five options for this, which are presented here.
1. T-Corkscrew
The easiest, but also the least comfortable way to open a wine bottle. Of the T corkscrew is said to have been the first choice when uncorking small and large bottles as early as the 17th century. It consists of a short helix with a T-handle attached to the upper end. Typically, sturdy wood, bone, horn, or sterling silver is used. All materials that withstand the mechanical forces involved in uncorking. Exceptions are pocket knives, where the handle shells take on this function. The principle of uncorking is as simple as the structure. First, the helix is twisted as centrally as possible into the cork. Then clamp the T-piece between your index and middle fingers and pull firmly, but not jerkily. With younger wines, the corks usually only resist briefly and can then be pulled out of the bottle without resistance. On the other hand, if the wine has been on the shelf for a while, corks are sometimes stubborn. Here it is important to turn the spiral as far as possible into the (perhaps somewhat porous) cork. This reduces the risk of the cork breaking or crumbling. Here’s a classic one Stelton T-Corkscrew.
2. Waiter’s or sommelier’s knife
The classic among wine openers. Incidentally, it was invented by a German. At the end of the 19th century, Carl Weinke from Rostock had his brilliant idea patented. Nowadays there is hardly a bar or restaurant without it waiter’s knife out. And that’s exactly why the good piece has its name. At first glance, the classic model resembles a pocket knife, but consists of only three parts. Namely…
- a blade to cut off the capsule, the so-called foil cutter,
- the spindle for screwing into the cork
- and the stop that is placed on the bottle neck.
The principle is now similar to that of the T-corkscrew. The spindle is screwed in at a slight angle, but in the middle and as far as possible into the cork. Instead of pulling directly, the stop has to be unfolded and placed on the bottleneck. The rest is profane physics. The lever effect of the stop is used via the handle to pull the cork out of the bottle. The foil cutter is not used on the somewhat simpler models. However, with a little skill (and caution) the capsule can also be removed with the tip of the spindle. What pleases beer drinkers: With some waiter’s knives, the stop can also be used as a bottle opener for ordinary crown caps. A cheap one Butler’s model (incl. bottle opener) is available here.
3. Wing corkscrew
Next to the waiter’s knives are winged corkscrew probably the most widespread in private households. Here, too, the lever principle is used when uncorking the bottle. It is important that the so-called bell is placed straight on the edge of the bottle after the capsule has been removed. Only then does the spindle penetrate the center of the cork. The spindle is screwed in using a handle that can usually also be used as a bottle opener. When screwing in, the two wings are pressed upwards. Important: They must not be blocked or held with the hands. To lever out the cork, press the wings back down together. Here, too, care should be taken to ensure that the spindle is turned into the cork as far as it will go. A classic Wing corkscrew from GEFU is here.
4. Lever corkscrew
Natural and synthetic corks pop out of the bottle a little more elegantly when a so-called lever corkscrew is put on. As the name suggests, the lever principle is also used here. The kitchen helper itself consists of a kind of tong device that encloses the spindle and a lever that has two tasks in this type of wine opener. With the first lever he turns the spindle into the cork, on the way back he pulls the cap out of the bottle neck, which is fixed by the clamping device. A very simple and, in addition to the electric variant, also the most energy-saving principle for opening wine. A reduced one Model by BarCraft is here.
5. Screwpull corkscrew
The child’s play among the wine openers. It couldn’t be easier. The screwpull principle is the only way to push a cork out of a bottle without having to pull or pry. The idea of Screwpull Wine Opener comes from the American Herbert Allen, who developed this type of wine opener in the 1970s. Instead of lever, Allen used torque as a key to uncorking. The simple principle: you put the wine opener on the bottleneck and twist the thin and slightly elastic long spindle into the cork. And that’s until she pulls the stopper up and out of the bottle. The effort required is minimal. Screwpull wine openers are usually made of easy-care plastic. In some models, the manufacturers have integrated the capsule remover. So also with this one Victorinox model.
Wine evening: The three most important tools
As is well known, after opening is before drinking. If you want to present the wine to your guests in style, it is best to fill it up in a decanter around. Otherwise flexible help Spout made of PET film, which are rolled up and placed in the neck of the bottle to pour the wine accidentally. White wines feel most comfortable in the fridge or a wine cooler after opening. Here is a Model from WMF with scarce 30% discount available. For the benefit!
You might also be interested in:
This article contains so-called affiliate links. There is more information here.