Corkscrews & openers

A corkscrew is hard to do without in modern kitchens. Whether you drink wine often, use a splash in delicious simmer dishes or just want to serve a good bottle of red wine to your guests, you need a good bottle opener – preferably one that allows you to serve wine without pieces of cork.

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Which is the best corkscrew?

There are a lot of wine openers out there, and it can therefore be difficult to find out which corkscrew is best. Therefore, we would like to guide you in the different models so that you are better equipped to assess the differences and make the best decision. The noble purpose of the corkscrew is to open your wine without pieces of corks getting into it. You may have already tried to open a bottle that ended up with crumbled cork in your expensive wine. It can be a matter of not having the screw straight in and all the way down before you started to pull the plug up, but it can also be that the corkscrew was just not user-friendly. Every corkscrew has its advantages, but in the end it’s a question of which method and design you prefer for opening your wine. Some corkscrews are easier to operate than others, and you can even get electric corkscrews that can do almost all the work for you. What you prefer is entirely up to you. But the best model helps to ensure that you open your wine easily and elegantly without getting cork in it.

Three different types of openers

The corkscrew is centuries old. The oldest models consisted of a spiral to screw into the cork and a handle to pull it up. Later models made it easier to pull the cork up, but the classic model is still available and used today. Below we will go through the different wine openers so that you can decide which one suits you best.

The classic corkscrew

The traditional corkscrew is very simple, but also requires a lot of arm strength, especially if the cork is made of artificial materials. It works by turning the screw into the cork and pulling it up by hand. It can be a bit demanding, but there is also a charm to the old wine openers.

Waiter’s corkscrew

The waiter’s corkscrew is one of the most popular bottle openers and is used, as the name suggests, by waiters who typically open many bottles of wine of an evening. It fits easily into your pocket when not in use, as it takes up very little space. Simply tilt the hinge at the top aside and screw the spiral into the cork – but not all the way to the bottom. Now attach the hinge to the bottle and pull out the stopper. This bottle opener gives you support and a straight pull, making it easyt to remove the cork.

Winged corkscrew

Another classic among openers is the winged corkscrew, which can open wine, soft drinks and beer. It has a ring that attaches to the neck of the bottle, a spiral and two wings. You use it by screwing the spiral into the cork as the wings automatically rise. Then press down on the wings to pull up the cork.

How to open a bottle of wine

Opening a bottle of wine is a simple affair if you otherwise have the right tools available. The first thing to do is to cut off the foil just below the edge of the bottle neck. Whether you want to remove the foil completely or just around the top of the bottle so that the cork is visible is up to you. Some will find the foil decorative, so they only cut off the top. Now place the tip of the corkscrew exactly in the middle of the cork and make sure to press the tip firmly into it before you start screwing. That way you can be sure that it is well-seated and secure. Then screw it into the cork and make sure to screw straight down all the way. When you can no longer see the spiral, carefully lift up the cork. Remember: no quick movements. If the cork is stuck, you can turn it a little, but not too much. When the cork is out, wipe off any residue from it inside the bottle opening. 

What to do if the cork breaks

Oh no, the cork broke! What next? Don't worry. This happens to everyone occasionally, especially when the wine is a little older. The cork can sit extra tightly or become slightly porous. A classic error is not having the corkscrew inserted straight into the cork, thus it is used it incorrectly. However, you can still save it in case of an accident. If the plug is completely broken, simply pick up the top piece and insert the spiral into the piece that is still stuck. Carefully pull it up. If this is impossible, you can also push the cork into the wine. It doesn't matter, you just need to filter the wine with a tea filter before serving, for example. In fact, it is only good for the wine to be filtered, as this opens up so that you can taste its aromas better, just as when it aerates.

When is the best time to open the wine?

When the wine is opened, it aerates, which helps to enhance its flavour. Most wines are not damaged by being opened in advance, but it is not enough to simply remove the cork. Not get enough air gets into the bottle because the bottleneck is so narrow. Therefore, you can aerate the wine in a wine carafe so that you get its best taste and aroma. As a rule, it is a good idea to let the wine aerate for a couple of hours before pouring it into the glass.

Store your open bottle of wine correctly

Not sure how best to store your open wine and how long it will last? Several factors play a role in preserving the wine’s good taste. First and foremost, the amount of wine left in the bottle is important when you put it away. It is the oxygen that helps to oxidise the wine and alter its taste. So, the less oxygen or air in the bottle, the better. In addition, a younger wine generally keeps better than an older wine, which can quickly acquire a strong flavour. To provide the best conditions, put a cork or stopper in the bottle and put it in the fridge. Just take it out a couple of hours before serving so it has the right temperature.

How long a wine can last is a matter of taste. As a rule of thumb, a young red wine can remain on average 2–3 days if kept refrigerated. You may want to taste it and assess whether it is about to reach its expiry date. The longer it stands, the more oxidised it will become and thus lose its fruity taste and instead develop a strong, sharp taste. Drinking a too-old wine can never make you sick. It is not dangerous.

Extra wine accessories from Rosendahl.com

If you need other wine accessories, you can find them here at Rosendahl.com. Among other things, we have corks and stoppers, so you can drink a glass of wine and then close the bottle again so that it retains its taste and strength. You will also find a large selection of wine glasses for red, white, rose and dessert wines, which go so well with the lovely wines you serve. Our wine accessories include carafes to aerate and decant your wine, and you can also find pourers designed to enhance the wine experience while making it as easy as possible to pour a bottle of wine without any spillage, for example. With a wine opener and other wine accessories from Rosendahl.com, you are guaranteed beautiful, high-quality tools that will help you when you want to enjoy a glass of wine and serve your guests.