Just curious

[yabloka]

Just an off the wall question. My friends and I were talking last night and managed to get into a debate on opening wine. I'm just curious as to what people use. I was called eccentric for prefering the ah-so.

[wondersofwine]

I mostly use a simple corkscrew with dual levers or wings. The wings rise as the corkscrew goes in and then you press the wings back down to pull the cork out. It's not infallible but it works easily about 95% of the time for me.

[Georgie]

I like an old "T" handle one I found in a drawer in the kitchen. It has a bell shaped cap that comes down over the neck of the bottle. I have moderate success with the waiter's friend type; I think I need more practice. I intend to keep drinking.

[This message has been edited by Georgie (edited 11-16-2003).]

[Drew]

I use a version of the "Rabbit"...works everytime in under 3 seconds.

Drew

[quijote]

I'm very low-tech. For most wines I use a cheapo plastic picnic corkscrew. This is the kind made up of two components--the corkscrew itself attached to a plastic handle (which has a lateral hole through it), and the plastic "cover" for the screw, which doubles as the leverage/turning handle (as it goes snugly through the hole).

I also have an Ah-So, but I only use it for really stubborn corks, such as close-fitting synthetic corks.

[randery]

Waiters friend mostly, but once in a while I'll use a screw pull type that I received as a gift.

[White Wine Lover]

Be gentle with me, remember I'm a novice...

What is an Ah-So?
What is a Rabbit?

I use the one described by wondersofwine, the corkscrew with wings. I have another device someone gave me, I have no luck with it. It's 2 sharp prongs that you somehow insert between the cork and the bottle. Does anyone know what it is & how to use it?

Thanks,
Donna

[Georgie]

That's an ah-so!

[randery]

I think what you describe is an Ah-So. It works like so (hah) according to Andrea Immmer: you slide the prongs between the cork and the bottle until the prongs are fully inserted and then gentlly turn and lift the cork out of the bottle. The Rabbit is a brand name of a lever pull. I've used one like that before. You grasp and hold the neck of the bottle with the vise-like handles with one hand and move the lever (ear) in a position away from you and perpendicular to the bottle. Pull the lever back to insert the auger fully into the cork and then pull up gently but firmly. Voila. This is fast but this type shouldn't be used on synthetic corks according to the box of the one I have used. Make sure the bottle is upright on a firm surface and cut the foil first.

[Drew]

The trick to the ah-so is to rock the prongs into the space between the cork and bottle and not push the ah-so, that's why one prong is longer than the other. If you push, without rocking, you risk pushing the cork into the bottle. Once the ah-so is inserted, turn the cork while pulling. I think the downfall of the ah-so is that it seems to shave off little bits of cork that fall into the wine. Here's a picture of a rabbit type pull screw.

http://www.corkscrew-mart.com/rabbit-deluxe.html

Drew

[White Wine Lover]

Thanks to all for clarifying that for me. The Rabbit is going on my XMAS list!

Donna

[winoweenie]

All of the above are moot when it comes to opening bottles with some whiskers(older) on em. The teflon coated worm of the Screwpull penetrates ever so smoothly(down Drewski) and you'll rarely lose a cork. On any bottle older than 10 I use the waiters model. WW

[Innkeeper]

I mostly use the basic model screwpull. It has a plactic two prong body that fits around the neck of the bottle from the top. Then there is a teflon worm with a handle that you turn into the cork unitil it comes out. You only have a problem with it when a cork is in extra tight, or with certain artificial corks. The latter tend to strip the teflon off the worm. Worms are replacable.

By backup opener for tough jobs is what I call my monster waiters pal. The lever is a full 1/2 inch across, and the rest is correspondingly heavy. It came with my wine tote, and bring it with me wherever I travel. I have a smaller waiters pal made of chrome with very flat (versus round) edges on the worm, that I carry in my pants pocket with jack knife, comb, and pen.

[wineguruchgo]

I am fortunate to have a Laguiole, black mahogany. Don't snicker, I won it. I use that at home.

For work I use a double hinged waiters corkscrew. Nothing fancy. Only thing I really look for is a serated edge of a knife.

[Thomas]

I am partial to the waiter's corkscrew, especially the newer designs that come with a double bottle neck clip (some are hinged) so that raising the cork becomes a quick two-step process, and a near infallible one.

I used to think the ah-so was a new invention but last month in France I saw a cork collection that included the two-prong Devil from the 19th century. Drew is correct about the cork pieces this thing leaves behind.

As in wine preferences, different people have different corkscrew prefs, and part of the pref is the limit or prowess of each person's mechanical and motor skills--which is why guys like ww and I seek the easiest way...



[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 11-16-2003).]

[White Wine Lover]

I was startled for a moment by wineguruchgo's posting, about what he or she uses to open wine at work! Ah, to have a job where you can drink wine at work! Where do I apply?! Then I realized he or she could be a wine steward.

Donna

[quijote]

Hey, I like that idea--instead of a water cooler, have a wine bar. (Not a wine cooler, though!)

In many European and in a few Latin American countries, the faculty, staff, and students at universities typically have access to cafe-bar combos located in their academic buildings. At the U of Madrid, there always seemed to be more people at the bar than in the classrooms! (Better conversations at the bar, in any case.) Nothing like a quick brew or Rioja before class.


[This message has been edited by quijote (edited 11-16-2003).]

[Thomas]

Reminds me of my past life in the corporate world, in a computer software company. I used to share an office with a fellow who always went out for lunch. I liked going out maybe once or twice a week, opting mostly to either bring lunch or have it delivered to the office. I did this so I could save money on my afternoon dose of wine by bringing my own 375ml bottle (I even took to buying by the box and stashing the bottles in the bottom of my locked desk).

One day, as I sat munching on a sharp cheese accompanied by a large baguette and some olives, plus a split of Marques des Caceres (sp) my immediate boss pops open the door to my room. Just 20 minutes before his entry he had a fine tan, but standing in the doorway and staring at my bottle of wine seemed to drain his complexion.

I didn't last long there--too rigid for my libertine blood.

[hotwine]

I use a Leverpull at home and carry a waiter's friend when traveling. But also have others available, including Screwpull, Ah-so, and the two-handled beast described by Wow. An ancient T-handled bell-cap (described by Georgie) stays at the ranch.

[White Wine Lover]

Hey, quijote, I like the way you think. How about wine IN the water cooler? Now there's a question...what variety of white wine would be light enough in color, that we could put it in the water cooler and get away with it?

Donna