What is a bottle opener called? How to use a corkscrew? Types and description of corkscrews. This device is used like this:

Just as wine connoisseurs have preferences for different types of wine, many have preferences in which one to use. Some people prefer the traditional method - using the so-called “sommelier corkscrew”, which is used by most waiters in restaurants. Others prefer the smoothness of a lever or spinning corkscrew. And for those who are simply looking for the easiest way to open a bottle, buy a pump-type corkscrew or an electric corkscrew. Read the information below to learn more about the different types of wine openers.

It is the standard choice for restaurants (hence the name) and homes around the world. The manual device, which consists of a body, a screw and a blade, is the oldest way to open wine.

Pump type corkscrew. These corkscrews are equipped with a needle that goes through the cork and a small CO2 (carbon dioxide) cartridge that is just enough to safely remove the cork. Typically, a cartridge is enough for 80-100 bottles; a pump-type corkscrew is an excellent choice when you need to quickly open a large number of bottles.

Also known as "bunny ears". It consists of two handles that wrap around the neck of the bottle, and a lever connected to a screw. Simply press and pull the lever and the cork will come out of the bottle. They can also be built into a table.

For wine. It's very simple - with one press of a button, this electric corkscrew will open a bottle of wine. The foil remover comes complete with an electric charger - ideal for those short on power.

As the name suggests, this corkscrew has a handle or mechanism that turns a screw into the cork in order to remove it. Corkscrews with a chrome handle are especially popular.

Advantages of each type of corkscrew

There are many ways to open a wine bottle. How do you know which corkscrew is the best, and most importantly, which one is the most convenient to use, when the market offers such a large selection? There are as many opinions as there are people, since each corkscrew has its own pros and cons.

Let's start with the standard sommelier pocket corkscrew. This is the smallest corkscrew seen in most restaurants (hence its name). Those who value tradition will choose the sommelier's corkscrew to open their best bottles, and for good reason. You will be able to control the screw without any problems, and it will easily enter the plug. These corkscrews are very effective for opening old bottles. The corks in them can fall apart, so restaurants serving the best old wine always use this type of corkscrew.

The lever corkscrew has gained popularity due to its elegant design and ease of use. With just two movements, the screw is inserted into the plug and carefully removed. You can easily control the process as the handles wrap around the neck of the bottle as you open it. There are many different types of lever corkscrews made from plastic, metal, and other materials. If you drink wine that is usually sealed with synthetic corks, make sure you have one of the most suitable ones, as not all types of corks are suitable for such corks.

The easiest way to open a bottle of wine is to use an electric corkscrew. It will do all the work for you after pressing the button, pulling the cork out of the bottle and freeing the screw from the cork. Most of them have a blue backlight so you can see when the corkscrew is in effect. Different colors are possible. An electric opener needs to be charged when you are not using it. They are great for those who don't have very strong hands. This is an excellent gift idea.

Main brands

Manufacturers tend to specialize in producing one specific type of corkscrew, but some take the risk and market all types of corkscrews at the same time. When it comes to sommelier's knives, the gold standard is undoubtedly the Forge de Laguiole. These corkscrews are of high quality, as they are made by hand in France. Trudeau can also offer high-quality corkscrews of this type. Metrokane released the first lever corkscrew, at the same time it received its alternative name “Rabbit”. Arcos and Vinturi are well-known brands that produce lever corkscrews. The unsurpassed leader in electric corkscrews is Vinturi. It, unlike all other electric corkscrews, runs on regular AAA batteries. In our store, everyone will find the corkscrew that suits them.

How to use different wine corkscrews

Corkscrew sommelier

The traditional sommelier corkscrew can be difficult to use for the first time. But once you get the hang of it, you can easily control the traffic jam, which is why they are chosen by many sommeliers and waiters. If you have an old bottle and the cork is about to fall apart, this is exactly what you need.

Lever corkscrew

With the advent of the “Rabbit”, this type of corkscrew has become one of the most popular on the market. It's a simple two-step process. After three or four openings, you will be able to use your lever corkscrew with ease.

Electric corkscrew

The easiest and most stress-free way to open a bottle of wine. Press the button and the cork will come out of the bottle. Done, you can enjoy the taste of wine.

How and why you need to replace the screw in a corkscrew

Sometimes, after a period of use, corkscrews do not remove the cork as easily as before. Sometimes the problem can be in the corkscrew itself, especially in the electric version after several years of use. But many corkscrews have a screw that can be replaced as it wears out over time. When a new screw is installed in the corkscrew (usually a lever screw), it will again function as well as before. If you have replaced the screw and the plug is still difficult to remove, it may be worth replacing another part.

Why is there such a big difference in price between almost identical looking corkscrews?

Although many corkscrews look the same, not all are created equal.

For example, the corkscrew of the Forge de Laguiole sommelier. You will find many other corkscrews that look exactly the same, and it is difficult to tell the difference when using them. However, the handcrafted parts used to create the Laguiole are of the highest quality. Therefore, they are not only more efficient to use, but will also last longer. Cheaper corkscrews are also not bad and, of course, will fulfill their function, but they will only last a few years. And if you're faced with an old cork that might crumble when opened, the only corkscrew that can handle it is the Laguiole.

The same can be said about the lever corkscrew - “Rabbit”. It has a lot of moving parts that make the corkscrew easy to use. Elite models of corkscrews can last much longer and do not require replacing parts as often as regular ones. Even though the corkscrews may look the same, once you try different brands of the same type of corkscrew, you will understand the reason for the difference in price.

You come across an old, aged, expensive wine. What tool will you use to try to open it, given that the cork is currently about to fall apart if you try to get rid of it using crude methods? It is advisable to use a gypsy corkscrew as an assistant here. Such wines, which have been lying in a horizontal position for several years, and the drink is constantly in contact with the cork, must be opened very carefully, otherwise the cork may fall apart, and allowing the dust to get into the wine is a very serious omission, considering that this is a very rare exhibit. alcoholic drink.

Gypsy corkscrew - what is it, and what do gypsies have to do with it?

The name comes from historical rumors and legends that earlier, with the help of this instrument, gypsies and other court officials used to open an expensive drink for various purposes. The most harmless purpose - a person at court could drink wine and put the bottle back in its place. As we understand it, the gypsy corkscrew allows you to get rid of the cork completely unnoticed, and also place it back into the bottle. There have also been cases of poisoning wine or mixing in cheaper raw materials. Such selfish acts still take place today, which is why the instrument has a bad reputation.

In the photo we see that the corkscrew consists of two plates, popularly called “antennae”, thanks to which it is possible to remove the cork from the bottle. You just need to carefully squeeze these plates between the cork and the bottle and, grasping it, remove the cork, carefully and slowly turning the corkscrew handle.

No one knows when such an unusual device was used, but the gypsy corkscrew was patented in 1959 by a company called Attelier du Vin.

How to open a bottle with a gypsy corkscrew?

1. Insert the corkscrew arms between the cork and the bottle and lower them slowly;
2. Carefully begin to rotate the stopper, gradually removing it from the container.

Opening a bottle with this type of corkscrew requires extreme accuracy and caution, so be patient if you decide to use such a tool in business.

Today, the best gypsy corkscrews are produced by companies such as: Peugeot (France) and Monopol (Germany).

Wine bottles are not easy to open. There is a special device for this called a corkscrew. There are folk craftsmen who can do without it.

However, professional sommeliers still insist that bottles of real wine should be opened with this device.

Currently, there are several different modern types of this device. Among them there are both the newest models and those that have been known to mankind since ancient times.

Therefore, among such a wide assortment, each person is sure to easily find the corkscrew that will fully satisfy all his requirements.

This device was officially patented in 1795 and since then many improved models of this device have appeared.

Reference! However, today historians insist that the corkscrew was first used back in the 17th century, and it was very similar to the most common classic corkscrew, which is still very popular today.

This device was made in analogy with a fireweed, that is, a device that was used to clean the barrel of a weapon, from which the projectile flew out in pieces.

Each corkscrew has its own unique appearance and rules of use. However, all its types should be used in accordance with the general recommendations of professionals:

• On high-quality bottles there is a special foil on the surface of the cork itself, which must be removed first. If you follow the rules, then you need to use a special sommelier knife. But if you don’t have it at hand, you can use a regular kitchen knife or scissors of a suitable size.
• Before using a corkscrew, be sure to check that it is sharp enough. Otherwise, an unsharpened device will only crumble the cork and you will have to make a lot of effort to open the bottle of drink.
• The tip of the corkscrew should be inserted into the lid strictly in its center. Otherwise, pieces of cork will fall inside the bottle, and you won’t be able to remove it entirely.

Attention! Regardless of the type of device used, it should never be pressed too hard into the plug itself. Otherwise, this may cause strong pressure inside the bottle itself and the container will simply burst.

How to use different types of openers?

Today there are more than 10 varieties of corkscrew, but professional sommeliers highlight only 7 main types. Despite the differences between them, they are all suitable for opening all types of wine bottles.

Classical

The second name of this device is steel worm, and all because of its characteristic shape.

A screw-shaped, rather short, spiral knife is securely attached perpendicular to a handle holder, which is usually made of wood. This is the simplest design of this device and such a corkscrew is very cheap.

But it also has a significant disadvantage - t It takes quite a lot of physical strength to open a bottle with it.

Use this device like this:

1. First, the top of the bottle is carefully freed from the foil.
2. The device should be screwed into the plug.
3. Pull it out, slightly rotating and pulling it out.

Important! You cannot completely immerse the tip into the cork; at least one turn must remain on the surface. Otherwise, the cork itself will begin to crumble heavily, and its particles will spoil the appearance and aroma of the wine.

With wings

This device has two more names - "Butterfly" or "Charles de Gaulle". It is a more improved version of the previous corkscrew.

The advantage of such a device is that it is easy to use and does not require much effort to open the bottle with its help.

However, such a corkscrew cannot always be used. If the cork is deeply seated in the bottle, then it may not be possible to remove it with its help.

The correct way to use it is:

• The tip of the corkscrew is inserted into the center of the bottle, while the handles of the device itself must be lowered along the neck on both sides.
• With your left hand you need to firmly grasp the bottle itself. And at the same time, pull the upper handle of the corkscrew up with your right hand. If everything is done correctly, then the side handles of the device will also begin to slowly rise.
• When the handles reach the highest point, the bottle should be placed vertically and the side handles should be slowly lowered; as they are lowered, the cork itself will easily come out of the bottle.

It is very important to remember here that under no circumstances should you put too much pressure on the corkscrew itself.

Sommelier knife

It is not for nothing that this device received such a name, because In addition to a corkscrew, it is also a knife and a holder. This type of device is used by professional bartenders and sommeliers in various establishments.

It must be used as follows:

1. Using a special corkscrew blade, you need to cut off the foil from the cork itself in one motion.
2. There is a special capsule at the top of the neck of the bottle; it also needs to be cut off with one sharp movement of the knife.
3. The corkscrew itself is screwed into the center of the cork, leaving only one curl on its surface.
4. Using the first step on the corkscrew, you need to rest the structure on the neck of the container and lightly press on it, like a lever.
5. Then the first step should be replaced with the second and again press on the plug, which should easily come out.

Reference! Professional sommeliers say that you should not pull the cork completely out of the neck with such a corkscrew. At the last stage, when it almost completely comes to the surface, the bottle itself is wrapped in a towel and removed by hand.

Watch the video where a wine expert shows how to easily open a bottle using a sommelier knife:

Screw

Such a device does not require any physical effort at all to use.

That is why girls most often choose it, because with its help you can easily open absolutely any wine bottle.

• All you need to do is place the corkscrew on the neck of the bottle so that the spiral knife enters the very center of the cork.
• Then you just need to turn the handle located at the top of the device until the bottle is opened.

Pneumatic

This is one of the latest innovations, but, unfortunately, it is still very rare on the domestic market. Although foreign sommeliers actively use such a device.

This device practically works by itself:

1. Its central needle is inserted into the middle of the plug.
2. Then you either press a special button or pump the piston, as in a small hand pump.
3. Thanks to this, air will begin to flow into the container through the needle, which will eventually push the cork out.

In appearance, this corkscrew bears little resemblance to all previous models; it is more reminiscent of a large and thick medical syringe.

Sometimes such a device is also called a pump-action device.

Gypsy

Another device that has an unusual shape and appearance. This corkscrew has an oval handle, and at the end there are two thin but heavy-duty needles. They are the ones who stick into the cork, and then with twisting movements it is easily pulled out.

The second name of this corkscrew is “The Butler’s Friend”.

Reference! This device owes its unusual name to its unique qualities, because it allows you to easily uncork almost any wine bottle, regardless of its age.

Therefore, it was previously believed that dishonest businessmen used such a corkscrew to open elite drinks, and instead poured cheaper alcohol and easily corked the containers back. Whether this is true or not is now unknown for certain.

But the fact remains that a gypsy corkscrew allows you to easily and quickly remove even the most fragile and deep-seated cork.

Electric

This device went on sale quite recently and immediately gained enormous popularity. It not only has a compact size and stylish appearance, but is also very easy to use; all you need to do is press the two buttons located on its body in succession. True, the corkscrew must first be leaned against the center of the cork.

• In order for such an electric corkscrew to work properly, it must be regularly charged or the batteries changed in a timely manner.
• Here everything depends only on the manufacturer. The exact use of the corkscrew is described in the instructions for it.

It is the electric corkscrew that is most popular among waiters and professional bartenders. After all, its use allows you to save time and effort on uncorking a large number of wine bottles.

Reference! Some models of such devices can be used not only for opening wine bottles, but also for uncorking cognac and liqueur bottles. After all, many famous producers of such high-quality alcohol bottle their products in such reliable containers.

For home use it is best to purchase pump-action, electric, vintage or lever models such a device. They are easy to use, affordable and do not take up much storage space.

For professional sommeliers, waiters or bartenders, electric, pump-action devices, as well as a gypsy corkscrew, are best suited.

Despite the fact that today there are many ways to open wine bottles without using this device, it is still best to have one on hand. After all, only such a professional device will allow you to really quickly, efficiently and safely open almost any bottle of delicious grape alcoholic drink.

The main thing is to follow all the rules for using each specific type of corkscrew and strictly follow all instructions.

Watch the video for tips on choosing and using different types of corkscrews:

Narzannik is a must-have device for high-quality work as a sommelier when it comes to a restaurant. In the bar, the narzannik turns into a necessary bar equipment, without which it is difficult to open a bottle of drink. In fact, in everyday life a narzannik is called a corkscrew. Among professionals he is called a narzannik.

Since the first patent for a corkscrew was issued in 1975, the range of models has actively begun to expand. It was believed that using a lever corkscrew to open a bottle of wine was much easier. It was this model that professional sommeliers and bartenders later chose for their work.