PHG Tasting Schedule
& Newsletter

The Side Bar
by Tony Arnold

The Art of Opening Wine - A Journey into Corkscrew-dom.

As you know the history of wine is very old, dating back to BC days.  Since the beginning (of wine that is), storage of wine was historically held, very short term, within terracotta amphoras (clay pots of various sizes) and later in wooden barrels.  Due to the fact that an air tight seal was very un-likely in these types of vessels of yore, wine could not be "aged" reliably or safely.  Wine would oxidize quickly, go bad, or turn to vinegar.  As a result the wine had to be consumed within a very short period of time and this was also the reason why local pubs and restaurants around the globe, during that period made wine and beer in house - it was simply a method of guaranteeing freshness of this perishable adult beverage.

Glass-blowing technology matured in the early 17-18th century to the point where wine and beer bottles with small bottlenecks made airtight wine storage and safe aging possible. The English were the first to seal wine bottles, using cork imported from Spain or Portugal. Cork comes from the wood of the Quercus Suber or cork tree, a species of Oak native to Spain. Currently almost all wine is aged to some degree.  That Arbor Mist "wine" (and I use that term loosely), is aged very little (probably all of about 2 minutes), the better quality wines are typically aged at least six months.  Some wines are aged much longer, such as our friend Keith Nichols' wine, who ages his wine 5-7 years and are ready to drink on their release date.  Great now we have a sealed bottle with cork, how are we going to get that bugger out so we can imbibe in that fantastic aged wine.  Ahh, my kindom for a corkcrew.

Who invented the first corkscrew?

A soldier's tool was the first corkscrew. The first corkscrews were derived from a "gun worm", a tool with a single or double spiral end fitting used to clean musket barrels or to extract an unspent charge from the barrel. I have seen warnings about not drinking and handling firearms, this heed probably originated about the same time. By the early 17th century wine corkscrews were widely made by blacksmiths.  During Napoleonic times, valiant soldiers would uncork a bottle of champagne with their sabers, however that method does not work to well with a wine bottle and is another story altogether.

German Carl Wienke was the documented inventor of our current trusty single lever waiter's type corkscrew called the 'Butler's Friend'. Wienke was granted a German patent on May 26, 1882, a British patent on April 20, 1883, a French patent on May 7, 1883 and an American patent on August 21, 1883 (busy guy). Wienke's corkscrew design remains in common use today and is my favorite infallible wine bottle opening gadget even with those new fangled synthetic corks that tear the heck out of more complex corkscrews. The corkscrew was nicknamed the 'Waiter's Friend' or 'Butler's Friend' because it could easily remove and easily replace a cork. This design feature continues to be one of the few corkscrews which allow removal/re-cork functionality and also allow the easy removal of a partially inserted cork.  This design is so functional and elegantly simple that Laguiole's (the original French culinaire not the place in France) corkscrews are famous and highly sought after for their refined style and ease of use (PHG carries these by the way and they are absolutely gorgeous).

Anatomy of a Good Corkscrew
I am often asked what makes a good waiter's style corkscrew - there are three main components.  Heavy duty construction, a sharp foil cutter and ergonomics.

The corkscrew should be constructed with a heavy gauge grooved worm or screw with a full five turns approximately 1/2 inch in total width and 2 inches in length. This type of of corkscrew with a longer and wider worm is called a Bordeaux style corkscrew and will penetrate more deeply into the cork. Inexpensive corkscrews usually have 3-4 turns, are narrower, smaller gauge, and tend to have a high failure and breakage rate during use.  The longer worm with grooving, will grip the cork much deeper and better than a smooth worm and will almost completely eliminate centering  a cork (tearing out the middle of the cork) during extraction. This type of corkscrew also allows for much easier extraction of even stubborn, tight, or synthetic corks. The structure for the handle should be made of metal and should snap open and closed tightly with authority.  The foil cutter knife should be very sharp and preferably serrated to easily cut through any type of metal or plastic foil on the bottle, as well as being stout enough to pry any wax off the top of the bottle.  Finally the corkscrew should feel natural and comfortable in your hand.  At the Laguiole factory in France, you can order a personally fitted corkscrew, a service which is considered a right of passage for wine snobs all over France.

How to use a Waiter Style Corkscrew
Although my favorite bar trick is removing a cork with the blade of a pocket knife there are safer alternatives. After cutting around the lip of the wine bottle and removing the cap (you can also remove the entire foil), take the pointy worm and start it as closely to the center of the top of the cork as possible. Slowly twist the worm in. With practice you’ll know when to stop (so as not to pierce the bottom end of the cork and possibly force some of it into the bottle). Once you’re ready to pull the cork out, let the lever out so it can touch the lip of the bottle. Using your non-dominate hand, grasp the neck of the bottle with a firm baseball grip with part of your hand holding the "level" on the lip of the bottle (so it doesn’t chip the glass by slipping off).  Firmly lift the other end of the corkscrew with your other hand, drawing out the cork. Piece o’ cake.  ...What? The cork did not budge... must have a really tight cork.  To get above the bottle for a little more leverage, one of my tricks for those tight corks, is to place the bottle on the floor holding the bottle between my feet and use the some technique as above (make sure you are still holding the bottle with one hand and levering it open with the other).  The other - other method for opening wine, which Aimee uses often, is to glare at the bottle and to firmly ask your spouse "are going to open that bottle or just stand there?"

Other Corkscrews Styles

The double winged lever design is another common corkscrew design found in households today. The first double lever can be traced to H.S. Heeley, who was granted a British patent on April 23, 1888. Heeley's corkscrew was called the A1 Heeley Double Lever; it used pivoting links to "gain an improvement in mechanical advantage to pull a cork".

The first double winged lever patented in North America was created by the Italian designer, Dominick Rosati (see illustration left). Rosati was granted a U.S. patent on April 1, 1930 and a Canadian patent on November 25, 1930.

Ultimately there are four major problems which designers/inventors have historically attempted to solve - Cork Removal/Re-corking, Simplicity, Speed of Extraction, and Required Strength.  Our favorite design remains the "Butler's Friend" with the Laguiole and Kersaw KAI, being the ones which have found a place in our drawer.  Today there are thousands of cork screw designers, all claiming to be the absolute best way to pull a cork. From simple corkscrew designs to ones which the inner workings would mystify an MIT professor.  Here are a few designs that I have found over the years.

There are few things in life that compare to good food, good wine, and great company.  Eat, drink, entertain, and enjoy! - Tony Arnold 2005


 

Copyright 2006 - PHG Provisions for Fine Living, Premium Home & Garden,
All Rights Reserved.