Corkscrews always work in the same way: you screw a metal spindle into the bottle and pull it out. But there are some amazing alternatives – and these are particularly suitable for tricky situations. Matthias Stelzig has put them to the test.
The moment the cork gives way with a soft pop is more than just a technicality – it’s a promise of the pleasure to come. But if the corkscrew fails, that promise is broken. Old corks become soft and crumble. Others get stuck in the neck of the bottle, forcing you to contort yourself in bizarre ways just to finally get at the wine. Many wine enthusiasts are already annoyed by the fiddly business of screwing the corkscrew in. So it’s time to consider an alternative to the helix, which is now around 200 years old. There have long been openers that do things differently. We’ve tested them to see which models impress – and which are better off staying in the drawer.
But this is by no means easy with mature wines. Mainly because the standard test setup – where every candidate is assessed under the same conditions – wasn’t possible here. No two old bottles or old corks are alike. Consequently, each corkscrew tested was used 20 to 25 times on an old vintage. Sometimes the cork was relatively intact; often it was a close call. It is in such situations that it becomes clear what works – and what doesn’t.
Tony Asikit’s Special Pulltex
www.asktoni.deOld corks lose not only their firmness but also their mass. Düsseldorf-based restaurateur and wine influencer Toni Askitis has developed a fairly simple solution to this problem. The idea is that if you twist a second spindle into the cork, more pressure builds up in the neck of the bottle. It also gives the corkscrew a better grip. The technique is simple: first, use the lever supplied to screw the loose spindle – which hangs from the tip of a waiter’s knife – into the bottle. Then follow it with the spindle from the waiter’s knife. Prying both spindles out works surprisingly well: even brittle corks come out of the bottle in one piece.
However, even this technique is powerless in the face of disaster at the neck of the bottle: if the cork has become too soft, the spindles just spin freely. Just like with other corkscrews. To prevent the small parts from getting lost, they’re attached to a small carabiner. That way they stay together – and all for very little money.
A handy tool for emergencies that every wine enthusiast should always have in a drawer or in their bag.
Le Bilame
www.atelierduvin.comThe Bilame is one of those everyday items that every wine lover has seen at some point. It has been the go-to tool for tricky situations since 1949. When an old cork has started to crumble and a corkscrew is no longer up to the job, the ‘midwife’ comes into play. The two blades, of different lengths, are carefully inserted between the neck of the bottle and the cork until they grip the stopper like a pair of pliers. You then turn it gently without applying too much force. Inward-facing ridges on the blades grip the ageing cork and, hopefully, push it out of the bottle. The great advantage is that the ‘midwife’ does not damage the cork. It cannot break; at most, it might fall into the bottle if it has already shrunk so much that it can no longer find a grip. In that case, the forceps delivery won’t work.
The Paris-based ‘Atelier du Vin’, which has seen itself as responsible for preserving French industrial design for the past 100 years, has presented the Bilame in several versions as a luxury item. It is available in chrome-plated stainless steel, stylishly lacquered in black, or in zamak – a zinc alloy that develops a patina over time – and comes with a hand-stitched leather case from Italy. It features a built-in heart-shaped bottle opener, so that everyone knows this is all about France. Engraving available on request.
A very elegantly designed lifesaver for old wine enthusiasts who want to combine pleasure with practicality.
The Durand
www.wineandbarrels.deThe Durand, from the USA, combines both corkscrew techniques. First, you screw the spindle in as far as it will go. This immediately increases the pressure in the neck of the bottle. Next, the two blades are inserted into the neck of the bottle. Once everything is in place, you unscrew the whole thing clockwise. The metal blades guide the process, so that the cork is usually left intact.
In all our test series, the Durand has proved itself the best for us. It has saved the most old treasures and, for us, is the Rolls-Royce of corkscrews. This is because the technology is not only well thought-out and sophisticated, but also comes with a three-figure price tag. In Germany, it is available at the best price from Wine and Barrels.
1. Anyone who gets teary-eyed when a rotten cork ruins an old gem.
2. Restaurateurs with old vintages who want to avoid losses.
Le Zig Zag
www.torquato.deThe Zig Zag has been produced unchanged since 1883. For a long time, the corkscrew was manufactured by the company L’Idéal, whose version is now regarded as the classic model. For this reason, the spindle is not coated with Teflon, as is common today. Thanks to the leverage effect of the scissor mechanism, it exerts significantly greater force on the cork when pulling than a waiter’s knife with simple lever action. With a full chrome finish and a thickness of 1.8 mm, the individual struts make a solid impression. However, the rivets have a certain amount of play, particularly those holding the spindle in place, which doesn’t exactly make it any easier to get a good grip. To make full use of the increased force transmission, you have to screw the corkscrew all the way in – even if the cork is shorter.
If you then pull on the attractive chrome handle with two fingers, the cork slides out of the bottle much more easily than with a waiter’s knife. It’s best to stand the bottle upright whilst doing this. With stubborn corks, a spring-like effect occurs. The Zig Zag seems to stretch, and you get the feeling it’s about to snap. But that’s not what happens; instead, the cork flies out of the bottle with a sudden jerk. This also requires sufficient force when pulling. In everyday use, the Zig Zag isn’t a problem-solver, but a piece of everyday culture that adds a touch of flair to the opening process.
Wine enthusiasts with a penchant for industrial charm combined with clever and practical technology. Not suitable for complicated cork emergencies.
Le Brucart
www.pulltex.comOnce you’ve exposed the cork beneath the foil cap using the built-in cap cutter, place the Brucart vertically on the bottle. Screwing in the spindle is a bit fiddly. The first time, you’ll quickly pinch your fingers, but once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s straightforward. With the correct grip, the Teflon-coated spiral drills into the cork, centred and perfectly straight. The Brucart has a scale on the side so you can see how deep you’re screwing the spindle in. This prevents annoying crumbs from ending up in your expensive wine. You never know what damage they might cause.
The opener looks a bit small and flimsy. The joints also have quite a bit of play. But this little thing generates some real leverage. Thanks to the force transmission via the rack, your hand really needs hardly any effort at all – much like with a car jack. The cork is pulled out perfectly vertically and doesn’t snap off so easily. It does take a bit longer, but it’s great fun. The scale for the spindle, however, only goes up to five centimetres. Yet top-quality wines often have longer corks. The Brucart is nonetheless a handy little tool for everyday home use – not for that old vintage you’re saving for a special occasion, and certainly not for sommeliers. Instead, it bridges the gap between a simple waiter’s corkscrew and large lever-style corkscrews. The Brucart is practical and so small that it fits into any jacket pocket in its case.
Anyone who finds the fiddly handling and tugging involved with traditional corkscrews a nuisance will find a friend for life here – one you can always have to hand, even when out and about.
You can’t reinvent the corkscrew, but you can improve on it in some ways – and do things differently in others. The former is worth it if you want to save energy or spare your nerves, for example with the Brucart and the Zig Zag. For rare, expensive and perhaps one-of-a-kind bottles, on the other hand, the Bilame, Durand and the Pulltex by Toni Askitis are the tools of choice. Sometimes, however, the appeal of all the test candidates simply lies in their original concept.