In my wine 101 workshops, I say the first step in tasting wine is \u201csee.\u201d And with\u00a0a harmonic chorus of ohhs\u00a0and ahhs, we all look at the wine in our glasses and discuss what we observe.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s only one problem: Technically, I lied. The first step is getting the #@*$ bottle open.<\/p>\n
I know, I know.\u00a0Duh, Zelezny.<\/em>\u00a0But sometimes this step is not as easy as we\u2019d hope, even with all the newfangled gadgets now on the market. And trust me, I know. I\u2019ve tried them all.<\/p>\n The Manual Twist-And-Pull can require some serious brut force. The Waiter\u2019s Friend and Double-Hinged Waiter\u2019s Friend, sometimes known as a Wine Key, takes practice to master (i.e. not look like a crab opening a wine bottle). The Winged Corkscrew is totally old school and has a tendency to shred the cork to bits. The Lever-Style opener is easy to use but cumbersome and pricey. The Electric opener is also pricey, and slow and unreliable.<\/p>\n So which do you pick?<\/p>\n We polled a diverse group of wine drinkers about their preferences, and here\u2019s what we learned:<\/p>\n Madeline Puckette is the force behind\u00a0Wine Folly<\/a>, based in Seattle, and co-author of the brilliant new book\u00a0Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine<\/a><\/p>\n Her choice: The double-hinged Pulltaps waiter\u2019s friend<\/p>\n Why?: \u201cIt\u2019s small, nimble, affordable, and easy to use. Plus, if it gets taken away from me in airport security, it\u2019s not a huge deal.\u201d<\/p>\n Christian Oggenfuss is one of my mentors and the Chief Education Officer at the\u00a0Napa Valley Wine Academy<\/a>. The Academy is based in Napa Valley, but you can also find Christian and his team hosting classes across California, Florida, and Ohio.<\/p>\n His choice?: The classic two-step waiter\u2019s corkscrew<\/p>\n Why?: \u201cWhy mess with simplicity and effectiveness? This is a tool that contains all the necessary tools: a knife for cutting the foil, corkscrew for pulling the cork, and the two-step lever for making sure it comes out straight. A case of function over style!\u201d<\/p>\n Alex Tishman is the Head Chef at the private-chef agency\u00a0Big City Chefs<\/a>\u00a0in San Francisco.<\/p>\n His choice?: The double-hinged waiter\u2019s corkscrew, with a teflon coated screw and serrated foil cutter<\/p>\n Why?: \u201cConvenience and size primarily. I also like that it takes a little skill and finesse to use\u00a0correctly, especially with the older bottles. Lastly, I also think they are pretty perfect and beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n Kelly Lack is the Content & Community Lead at\u00a0Spot<\/a>, a new food, travel, and local-finds app, based in San Francisco.<\/p>\n Her choice?: The double-hinged waiters corkscrew.<\/p>\n Why?: \u201cThe double hinge allows for much more leverage, making it ridiculously easy to smoothly remove the cork. I don\u2019t know why all wine openers don\u2019t have this design.\u201d<\/p>\n Tamara Keefe (aka Flavor Temptress) is an ice cream chef and owner of St. Louis\u2019 hip new\u00a0Clementine\u2019s Creamery<\/a>,\u00a0which even features some tasty booze-infused flavors.<\/p>\n Her choice?: It depends on the situation.<\/p>\n Why?: \u201cAt home I use an electric one because its cool and easy. But for picnics I like my levered Rabbit opener. It\u2019s easy to use and comes in a box for easy storage. No braun required. It saves face for people who aren\u2019t experienced with a twist-and-pull opener or who tend to break the cork. That said, I always keep a traditional waiter\u2019s friend in my trunk for emergencies.\u201d<\/p>\n Christina LoCascio is a Santa Barbara-based painter with a background in the wine industry. What better way to combine her passions than to paint with wine. No, seriously. Her work is amazing. Check her out at\u00a0christinalocascio.com<\/a>. She is also the owner of the\u00a0Los Olivos General Store<\/a>.<\/p>\n Her choice?: The double-hinged corkscrew<\/p>\n Why?: \u201cI like being able to remove the cork with just two pulls.\u201d<\/p>\n Arabella DeLucco is a Community Builder + Dot Connecter at\u00a0Autodesk<\/a>, a 3D software company in San Francisco. But she is also a hobby chef and wine lover.<\/p>\n Her choice?: The waiter\u2019s friend \u2013 \u201cThe one that my husband and I got from\u00a0Cambria Winery<\/a>\u00a0in Santa Barbara County in 2010.\u201d<\/p>\n Why?: \u201cIt has a good grip and it\u2019s sentimental because that was the day my now-husband first professed his love! Awwwww\u2026..\u201d<\/p>\n Andy Brown is the General Manager of the\u00a0Los Angeles Master Chorale<\/a>,\u00a0which calls the architecturally brilliant Walt Disney Concert Hall home. Aside from having a great appreciation for fine music, he also has a great appreciation for fine wine.<\/p>\n His choice?: The Waiter\u2019s Corkscrew<\/p>\n Why?: \u201cFor me, it\u2019s about the ritual and anticipation. It\u2019s like unwrapping a Christmas present. This wine has been waiting oh-so-patiently in the bottle \u2013 why rush it? It\u2019s the commencement. Savor the process as much as the first sip \u2013 the folding out of the knife, the steady turning of the bottle to slice the foil, then the gentle peeling away of the foil. Find just the right spot in the cork to feed the screw. Twist with slow, even pressure to make the screw and cork giggle eagerly as cold steel tickles cork \u2013 then pop! That sound. So brief, but so rewarding. Lastly, the worm settles back into the resting embrace of the handle, waiting to be called upon again. Job well done, my friend. Job well done.\u201d<\/p>\n Juliette Asuncion is a family physician based in\u00a0Sweet Home, Oregon, and is known to many of her patients as Dr. Sunshine.<\/p>\n Her choice?: The Waiter\u2019s Friend<\/p>\n Why?: \u201cIt\u2019s multifunctional and portable. You can use it to open a bottle of wine or a bottle of beer.\u201d<\/p>\n Eric Hall is both a skipper with the\u00a0Humboldt Bay Sea Scouts<\/a>\u00a0and school teacher based in Blue Lake, California, where he and his wife also tend to a menagerie of animals.<\/p>\n His choice?: Swiss Army knife<\/p>\n Why?: \u201cIt is reliable. And if the cork is damaged, I already have all the additional tools I need.\u201d<\/p>\n Happy bottle opening!<\/p>\n See other posts related to:<\/strong> <\/p>\nThe Wine Writer<\/h2>\n
The Wine Educator<\/h2>\n
The Chef<\/h2>\n
The Food & Travel Contest Developer<\/h2>\n
The Ice Creamery Owner<\/h2>\n
The Artist<\/h2>\n
The Tech-Community Builder<\/h2>\n
The Chorale General Manager<\/h2>\n
The Doctor<\/h2>\n
The Boat Skipper<\/h2>\n