Corkscrews must be swift and easy to use. Despite the efforts put into modern design, visual appeal should not replace utility. Many corkscrews are next to useless with corks that are damaged or hard to retrieve, so this too becomes an important factor. There are three models I keep on hand: a Waiter’s Friend, a double-pronged device and a Screwpull set. The Waiter’s Friend requires some getting used to, but it will easily extract all but the hardest corks, which the double-pronged device actually handles with ease. It also allows you to re-cork wine. The Screwpull is easy, handy and quite showy, but sometimes has problems with damaged corks, which is when the Waiter’s Friend is always the one to have handy. Talking generally, the best corkscrew will have a long and strong spiral screw, so it pulls up the entire cork at the one time, never leaving half in the bottle. It won’t be one of those ones that resemble a sold drill, since this kind actually forces the cork apart more, and is not suited to older corks that might have begun to deteriorate. The corkscrew should be strong so it won’t break on you, leaving both cork and corkscrew in bottle. Those with sharply-worked and even Teflon-coated screws will cut through the cork better and come out easier. I habitually use a Lever Model Screwpull in my tasting room, but admit that given the frequency of its use, I occasionally challenge the lifetime guarantee offered for such devices in Australia.
