Corkscrew description. Cork maker. Bottle opener. Bottle corkscrew, etc. The history of the corkscrew

The first corkscrew was patented in 1795 by the English clergyman Samuel Hanshall, but the “steel worm” was used as early as the 17th century. This elementary design is created in the image of a gunpowder - a tool for removing a projectile from the muzzle of a failed gunpowder weapon.

A corkscrew is one of the must-have items for a wine lover. There are many variations of a corkscrew: tasteless, difficult to use, impractical, bulky, or with a twisted spiral. There are very few simple and at the same time functional corkscrews. Wine lovers just have to choose which type of corkscrew is most convenient and easy for them to use at home.

Screwpull corkscrew

The most convenient corkscrew was invented by Herbert Allen in 1979 and called it Screwpull. The main goal pursued by the inventor was to come up with a device that would remove the cork from a bottle without excessive effort and would be safe.

In my opinion, this is one of the most elegant ways to uncork a bottle and surprise your guests. With one hand you grab the neck of the bottle with tongs, with the other you move the corkscrew handle from the lower position to the upper one, thus screwing in a thin, flexible screw rod. Then the handle simply folds back and the cork comes out of the bottle almost effortlessly. To uncork a bottle using such a tool, you do not need any special skills or physical strength.

Advantages: Unusual opening of wine, ease of cork removal.

Flaws: This is one of the most expensive ways to remove a cork, and besides, it is not immediately clear to everyone, and it also takes up a lot of space, since usually types of such corkscrews are sold in sets (in boxes) and the average minimum is 5,500 rubles without accompanying tools.

Classic corkscrew (“steel worm”)

The simplest design is a “screw with a handle.” The classic spiral T-shaped can be found in every home. The principle of operation is simple: screw the rod into the cork, then take it by the handle and gradually pull the cork out.

Advantages: Almost impossible to break, very inexpensive.

Flaws: It is necessary to put in quite a lot of effort (not every man can cope with this task, and it’s not worth talking about beautiful ladies). In addition, your event may be slightly spoiled, for example, by wine-stained clothes. And also an equally important problem is the lack of a knife for cutting the cartridge case.

Screw corkscrew

In appearance, this model resembles a wine corkscrew (which I will talk about a little later). The screw version also has a spiral that gradually enters the bottle cork. It is immersed there through rotation. After the spiral is in the traffic jam, rotation still continues, but in the opposite direction. As a result, the plug is removed by itself. A characteristic feature of screw corkscrews is that their spiral is coated with Teflon. At the end of the last century, American expert Herbert Allen patented this manufacturing technology. It was he who guessed that the coefficient of friction of Teflon is much lower than that of metal.

Advantages: It is very convenient for home use, as simple as possible, and does not require any excessive effort, and this is a huge advantage for ladies.

Flaws: A standard problem is the lack of a knife for cutting the sleeve, and the starting price of a good corkscrew is from 1000-1200 rubles.

Sommelier knife. "Narzannik". Weinke knife

In my opinion, one of the most famous, popular, convenient tools. Its inventor is considered to be the German Karl Weinke, who patented it in 1883 (in manufacturers’ catalogs you can also find the name “Weinke knife”). Professionals usually prefer knives in which the fence has two “steps”. The first “stage” is used to move the cork a little, and the second is used to completely pull it out of the bottle. In addition to the listed items, the knife also contains a bottle opener. The presence of such an opener is also associated with another name for this knife, which is common among bartenders - “narzannik”.

Advantages: The presence of all the necessary items for the correct opening of wine, as quickly as possible, with a minimum amount of effort, easy to use, the price of this assistant is on average 100 rubles and above.

Flaws: For me, as a sommelier who opens a huge number of wines, this is the most convenient and optimal tool to use, which does not cause a single disadvantage, except that during a long process of work the corkscrew begins to loosen and has to be replaced with a new one, but for home use I am sure that this replacement will not come soon.

Wine corkscrew

The French call this corkscrew “Charles de Gaulle” - the fact is that the raised levers resemble General de Gaulle’s favorite gesture - a greeting with arms thrown up. The product has a spiral that is used to pull out the cork. In parallel with how the spiral is screwed in, two handles rise up. After the spiral is completely inserted into the cork, all that remains is to press the levers and the bottle is opened. This corkscrew is more convenient than the classic version.

Advantages: The corkscrew is quite easy to use and does not require excessive effort.

Flaws: A standard problem is the lack of a knife to cut the cartridge case. The bent spiral screw is made of rather thick metal, which greatly spoils the appearance of the cork and does not allow the screw to be easily screwed into the cork if it has shrunk a little. And also a common problem: if I open a wine with a fairly long cork, then I have to make an effort to pull it out of the bottle and it doesn’t always look nice, especially if an unpleasant “pop” of the cork occurs.

How to choose a good corkscrew?

When choosing a corkscrew, you should first of all pay attention to the quality of the spiral. It must have a well-sharpened tip so that it gently enters the cork, and the spiral itself must be made of hard metal coated with Teflon, and be quite thin so as not to tear the cork, and the presence of a knife for cutting the sleeve is important.

Everyone knows how to open wine with a corkscrew, but not everyone knows which one is best to use.

Many have probably already encountered the problem when, in the presence of a corkscrew, many difficulties arise when uncorking a bottle of wine. Only the correct use of the device will help you remove the plug quickly and without much effort. You should proceed according to the following scheme: position the structure so that it is at right angles to the surface of the plug. If the angle is not maintained, the rod will initially enter obliquely and may break the plug. All this will complicate the situation, since after opening the bottle you will have to resort to straining the drink.

The main advice is this: do not buy the cheapest devices. The low price also corresponds to the not very good quality of the corkscrew. Often when using such a device, there is a risk that it may break into pieces while trying to pull the cork out of the bottle. Then a quick reaction is required, otherwise the wine will acquire a metallic aroma.

Types of corkscrews

Each of the corkscrew models described below allows you to open wine bottles correctly. However, their ease of use will not be comparable.

steel worm

The model called the steel worm is a classic corkscrew. This is a primitive design in the form of a screw with a handle. It will require extraordinary agility, physical strength and dexterity. But it is impossible to break it, it is easy to use and very inexpensive.

The device should be positioned in the center of the plug and screwed in clockwise. In order not to crumble the cork barrier, you need to slightly tighten it all the way. Then fix the bottle with your hand, and carefully pull out the cork with the other, slightly loosening it and twisting it. It should be noted that there are two types of this device when the worm:

• made in the form of a spiral having a round cross-section;
• has the shape of a screw.

A corkscrew with a screw is better to use, as it cuts into the cork more easily, does not tear and holds firmly in it.

Charles de Gaulle

There is a model called Charles de Gaulle or Butterfly. At the moment when the levers of the device are raised upward, the corkscrew becomes like a man with his arms raised - this is the favorite gesture of the French general Charles de Gaulle. This is where the name came from.

This kind of corkscrew has its advantage - you don’t need to make a lot of effort to remove the cork. But there is also a minus: sometimes it cannot cope with plugs that are planted deep.

In order to use this device, it is necessary that the blade is installed in the center of the plug and the levers are lowered. It is necessary to fix the device and screw it in using the central handle. This will raise the corkscrew arms to a vertical position. Then you need to place the bottle on a horizontal surface, and then slowly lower the levers with both hands at the same time. The cork will come out freely.

Sommelier knife

The sommelier knife is a folding, convenient corkscrew. The French invention is the idea of ​​an unnamed employee of one of the Parisian restaurants.

Sommeliers supplied wines to the establishment, were responsible for their storage and presented drinks to customers.
The corkscrew is not only equipped with a steel screw, but also has a blade that allows you to remove the foil. It also has two steps that make opening the bottle easier.

To open a bottle of wine, first use a blade to cut off the foil that hides the cork underneath. This will require a certain skill from a person, which comes with experience. Then the corkscrew is screwed into the cork until only the handle remains on the surface. Next, you need to rest against the neck of the bottle with the first step and remove the cork, but not completely. Then you need to change the position of the handle to the second stage, pull, then pull out the plug with your hands.

Screw

A screw corkscrew is a mechanism that makes opening a bottle extremely simple. This is the best way to open a bottle of wine for a girl because it doesn't require much effort. According to the instructions, you should place the spiral on the plug and screw in the screw along its entire length.

Pneumatic

The design of the pneumatic corkscrew is quite original, more reminiscent of a syringe, but you won’t find it in Russia. It is recommended to first insert the needle into the center of the plug, then press the lever a little and start pumping the air with the piston like a hand pump for a bicycle. Air will begin to flow into the bottle, pressure will increase and push the cork out.

Gypsy

There is also a gypsy corkscrew. This name was given because dishonest businessmen with its help have the opportunity to exchange real expensive wine from a bottle for a low-quality drink. At the same time, seal it with the original stopper. It is impossible to visually notice the substitution.

He is also called the Butler's Friend. This analogy is associated with England, in which representatives of this profession, using a corkscrew of this design, drank the wine of their masters from the reserves. However, no traces of the crime remained. To use the device, you should insert the tongs along the edges of the cork and gently push it into the bottle the entire length, then gently remove the cork by turning the handle of the corkscrew.

Electric

There is also an electric corkscrew that opens the bottle with two presses. You just need to make sure that the battery is always fully charged.

Historical reference

The corkscrew was invented relatively recently. This was due to the beginning of the industrial use of corks for sealing wine bottles. At the same time, centuries-old experience shows that wine was always stored in barrels, and it was served to the table in a jug, the neck of which was covered with a rag.

However, in the 18th century the situation changed radically. The wine trade developed at an incredibly rapid pace. Wine was transported in large quantities for sale. To prevent it from spoiling along the way, they began to use traffic jams. The bark of the cork tree was used to make them.

Naturally, there was a need for devices for opening containers of wine. The patent for the first corkscrew was issued to the English priest Samuel Hanshall in 1795. At the same time, the steel worm was used back in the 17th century. This design was created on the model of a tool that removed a bullet from the muzzle of a gunpowder weapon that did not fire when fired. They called him the feather duster.

The next package was received in the mail and now I will be preparing a series of reviews, but I would like to start with this seemingly uninteresting and useless thing that simply amazed me.
Short:
Wine bottle opener.
Quality:10/10
Convenience:10/10

And in general I’m very surprised by this item, the rest is below.

And so I’ll start with the fact that I have accumulated a ton of points, and somehow on my birthday in December a problem happened: another wine corkscrew for 750 rubles was broken, though I must say about good wine. I'm already tired of buying them, I break them at least once a year, and I decided to climb DX.
This one was found and chosen, there was no review on it, so I took it that way, especially for the points.

Today the thing arrived in a pile of other rubbish (more on that tomorrow), well, let’s start dissecting it, and let’s start with the packaging, which was a thick cardboard skin inside of which there was a bag and in it this device, I must say that at first I was at a loss when I took out the bag there was some kind of mucus, when I opened the bag I smelled the familiar grease.


After wiping with a dry cloth, the first surprises awaited:
+High-quality metal
+No backlash, everything is tight; if it’s open, it’s open
+The corkscrew is very strong, I bent it with pliers, it doesn’t even move, the sharpening is quite good, or rather not even sharpening but melting, since the end is sharpened precisely when the metal is melted, there are no traces of sharpening.
+In the folded version, the tip of the skewer, as expected, is pressed against the handle in such a way that there is no chance of getting caught accidentally or on clothing, it lies exactly “wagging”.
+And in general it looks very good when folded
+It has a knife for cutting (for soldering film labels) this is actually not really a knife, more like a small saw. the sharpness is sufficient for its purposes.

The pen, that’s a separate conversation, is a very beautiful plastic stylized to look like red wood, isn’t that what you expected to read? but no!
This is some kind of painted wood, of course not red, but industrially painted and very good, the color is pleasant, there are no rough cuts or other crap.
All joints of the handle are made to zero, so the transition is barely felt by your fingers.

The handle is tightly assembled with two rivets, which are also carefully sawn to zero and can barely be felt at all.

Well, okay, let's look at the photo :)

And so the conclusions, for a long, long time, a product that has such a ridiculous price and bought for the sake of buying was able to please me so much, I understand that this is not a knife and it’s not so interesting to talk about it, but holding this thing in your hands you understand that it can be used even in an elite restaurant and not one of the clients will say that this miracle costs 130 rubles...

P.s. I picked up and unpacked the purchase with two friends, and immediately received an order for two more of these. We agreed on a barbecue this weekend with three bottles of Chardeau 1996. There will be a test :)