Hardly any modern kitchen is complete without a wine opener. Wine continues to be popular, accessible, offering many choices for the discerning drinker at meal times or while listening to music. Though several wineries prefer screw caps these days, the majority of vineyards seem to prefer corks, and many will always opt for the old fashioned style.
One way for restaurants to compete with each other is to serve wine. The list may be short, with a handful of bottles or by-the-glass offerings. Others have whole cellars. These and wine bars are the home of waiters who really know what a good device looks and feels like.
No matter how expensive the wine, even a cheap opener can work well for a long time. The cheapest is a T-shaped model. All that is required is for a waiter or waitress to push the corkscrew in then pull without losing control of pulling arm and bottle as they come apart.
Simple and effective, these are a variation on the waiters favorite. Professionals have long been using a simple device like this, though not always sheathed, made simply of metal and wood. Those made today come in bright colors like orange and green for funky wine bars.
A slight adaptation on this principle uses leverage. One must still push the corkscrew in after using a built-in foil cutter to remove the cover. A metal arm comes out, fitting under the bottle lip. With a bit of pressure your wine is open to the air as it should be, especially a red. Though this sounds like a fancy piece of manufacture, versions are inexpensive and easy to find.
At one time a technological miracle, the ratchet is now old hat but continues to work well. Adapting the leverage idea, there is one extra part. A handle at the top turns to help you push the corkscrew in with minimum effort. Often, these also work as bottle openers. As you turn, a handle or handles rise up to the sides quite a ways. You may be tempted to push down early, but the cork will be longer than you imagine. Let the arms come up quite a way, facing almost right up, then push down. Some brands are sleek or colorful enough to match your kitchen decor.
Electric versions have become popular with lovers of all things high-tech. These take almost all effort out of opening wine, so long as you keep the batteries topped up. Simply set them in place and press a button. No twisting. No pulling.
Though corkscrews have been replaced by screw caps in some wineries, the cork remains popular. Some people identify it as a fundamental part of their wine drinking experience. Inventors continue to address the fear of a broken cork (hardly likely with their new plastic design) or even a broken corkscrew. They also want to make wine drinking accessible to those who find the twisting and pulling action difficult because of arthritis or repetitive strain injury. Meanwhile, some husbands, brothers and sons just likes having a fancy gadget which looks like it should hold a laser, small explosive device and a defibrillator, just like James Bond.
Nick Parker uses the best wine opener to open his wine bottles. He writes many wine bottle opener reviews and shares his tips on how to choose the best wine opener in his blog.