Choosing the right corkscrew can make the difference between success and distress

Few wine drinkers have been spared a cork disaster, from an old one that crumbles on contact to a misguided yank that breaks it in two to the ultimate indignity of simply shoving the remains down into the bottle.

To aid in the sometimes challenging task of opening a bottle of wine, corkscrews come in various styles from the simple, two-pronged Ah-So to the sleek sophistication of the Screwpull Lever. Shoppers looking for a wedding gift for wine lovers or to update their own corkscrews can spend less than a fiver or fork out more than $200.

While experts agree even the cheapest will get that cork out, the choice comes down to quality, ease, budget, elegance, how many bottles you will be opening and, of course, personal taste.

According to www.corkscrew.com, it can take more than 100 pounds of force to pull out a cork. This is why most styles depend on levers or a torque mechanism to reduce the amount of brute force necessary.

"More innovation has gone into corkscrew design in the last three centuries than any other tool," asserts Raj Kanodia, a mechanical engineer from India who started Palo Alto-based Corkscrew.com. "People are still searching for the perfect corkscrew."

Waiter's style

Ask local wine experts for recommendations, and the list always begins with the traditional waiter's corkscrew, a pocket-sized gadget that looks something like a Swiss Army knife with a folding screw, foil cutter and lever.

"Bar none, the waiter's corkscrew is the easiest," said Jennifer Tisa, communications assistant for Chateau Ste. Michelle and a bartender/waiter at 21 Central in Kirkland. "After practicing on a couple bottles, anyone can do it. It's fast, and it can be used standing up or sitting down."

Even within the general waiter's style, however, are numerous variations and price ranges. The difference between a $3.95 screw and the $7.50 one, for example, is a more ergonomic handle that fits easily in the hand and a small notch in the worm (what the screw part is called). This notch along the coils reduces the drag as it cuts through the cork, making it less likely the cork will crumble.

In Europe, most waiters use Spain's Pulltaps model ($25), said Jeff Blanchard, a buyer for Sur La Table, which carries 35 styles of corkscrews. This model has a hinged two-step lever so after a couple tugs using the first level, users can then switch to the lower step to pull the cork out.

Jennifer K. O'Neil, manager of Pike & Western Wine Shop, recommends the Pulltaps because otherwise, sometimes the cork will break off halfway, she said.

At the high end of the waiter's corkscrews are handcrafted Forge de Laguiole corkscrews from France featuring exotic woods and high-quality metals. They start at $60 and run up to $185. "I have one, and it's great," said O'Neil. "It's gorgeous and very durable."

Wings

The wing corkscrew is the most common sold for the home, said Bill Kriznik, a sales clerk for Redmond's Fine Wine & Cigars. The metal frame fits over the bottle top to position the worm; the user turns a handle to twist the coils into the cork while the side "wings" lift up. Then the wing levers are pushed down, which pulls the worm out.

If purchasing an inexpensive ($10-$15) wing corkscrew, some experts recommend avoiding the types with augerlike worms which resemble a screw or drill rather than a traditional helix corkscrew. They say the drill types can chew out the inside of a cork without pulling it out.

Torque

Another style where users turn a handle to screw in the cork uses a torque mechanism to twist the cork up and out of the bottle. Patented by an English engineer in 1802, this design now includes models by manufacturers such as Screwpull, Zyliss and Monopol. Turning the screw handle in the opposite direction dislodges the cork from the worm.

This style requires very little force and is easy to use. Kanodia recommends it for opening old bottles of wine with sediment. "You don't want the bottle shaken while you try to remove the cork," he said. "This doesn't have any jerking motions. You're in control of the whole process."

Models start at $20 to $30 and go up depending on materials.

Levers

Screwpull, which owned the original patent for its lever model, remains highly regarded — and the most expensive brand ($140-$200), according to local aficionados. Now that the patent ran out, it competes with less-expensive versions, such as the $50-$80 Metrokane Rabbit or the Swiftpull ($70-$80).

With lever styles, openers grip handles that fit around the bottle's top like pliers. With a second hand, they push a lever down, forcing the worm into the cork, and then pull it back up, pulling the cork out.

"It's three steps, very simple," said Blanchard. "I can't tell you how many bottles of wine mine has opened. It's phenomenal. It's the easiest way to open a bottle."

Less-common styles

Wine lovers who have difficulty with their hands because of arthritis or other problems can turn to CorkPops ($22-$25). After pushing a needle through the cork, a pump on the attached cartridge pushes carbon dioxide into the bottle and the pressure pops out the cork.

The carbon dioxide is an improvement over earlier styles that featured a hand pump to push air into the bottle, Kanodia said. Since this didn't control the pressure, it was possible to force so much air into a bottle with a stuck cork that the glass would explode.

With the carbon dioxide, the cartridge limits the pressure that can build up in the bottle so it's "quite safe," Kanodia said.

The Ah-So has a handle with two prongs, one longer than the other. Insert the prongs around the edges of the cork, twist and wiggle it down and then pull it up to yank out the cork.

At Chateau Ste. Michelle, tour guides will sometimes demonstrate use of the Ah-So and tell a tale about how it got its name: When someone finally figures out how simple the procedure really is, they say, "Ah, so that's how it works."

The Ah-So, which starts at about $4, works well with dry, fragile corks but beginners need to be cautious not to shove the cork into the bottle, Blanchard said. "Rock it back and forth, rather than push it down hard," he advised.

The Vacu Vin Wine Master is a "fun conversation piece," Blanchard said. It's transparent so the gears are visible. Fitting over a bottle, the opener pulls one set of levers down to push in the worm, which sends the second set of levers up. Pulling those down brings out the cork and pushing the first set again drops it.

It does a good job, but novelty is the selling point, Blanchard noted. "This is the opener no one else has got," he said. "It's interesting."

More choosing tips

Advice varies as to the best style to use with synthetic or plastic corks, which tend to be stickier and harder to pull out of the bottle. "These days, the biggest concern with corkscrews is with the plastic corks," said Kanodia, who tests different brands and has added efficiency with faux corks as a new criterion.

Tisa remains a fan of the waiter's style, but Kriznik warns it can take more force to get the cork out. Kanodia gave a thumbs up to both the torque and waiter's styles with the faux corks.

After testing various models, Kanodia found only the most expensive versions of the lever styles, such as the Screwpull Elegance, worked consistently with the tight synthetic corks. Indeed, Metrokane warns its Silver Rabbit, for example, is not recommended for rubber or plastic corks.

Other than those caveats, it really comes down to personal taste, said Blanchard. "If you do a lot of entertaining and open a lot of bottles, you might go for a higher-end option than someone who is not a regular drinker."

In the end, if the corkscrew fails and an abashed opener finishes with bits of cork floating around, Tisa recommends passing it off as a bonus.

"You know how people read tea leaves?" she asked. "I say, 'We're having a cork reading afterward.' "

Corkscrews provided courtesy of Sur La Table and Fine Wine & Cigars.

Photos by Steve Ringman and Alicia Hansen of The Seattle Times.