If you want to open a bottle of wine, the corkscrew is the only key to the kingdom. Different kinds of wine opening systems exist, from waiter’s corkscrews to cordless electric wine openers, endless worm corkscrews, lever-type systems and two-prong wine openers. You should consider a number of factors when choosing the perfect wine opener, such as the person that will use it, its intended use and setting, as well as the type of bottle it will be used on, and the type of cork that needs to be extracted.
Contents:
- What’s the best wine opener based on what it’ll be used for?
- What’s the best wine opener based on where it’ll be used?
- What’s the best wine opener to give as a gift?
- What’s the best wine opener based on the cork type it will be used for?
What’s the best wine opener based on what it’ll be used for?
All corkscrews and wine openers are designed to open bottles of wine, but each model is unique, with distinctive qualities that can make all the difference depending on your intended use. You shouldn’t choose the same corkscrew for intensive or professional use as for personal use or enjoying an occasional wine tasting. The wine accessory you choose should be perfectly suited to its intended use, in order to ensure that it is as comfortable as possible to use, providing you with a wonderful wine-tasting experience.
Choosing the best corkscrew for professional use in restaurants
The waiter’s wine key or waiter’s corkscrew didn’t earn its name by accident. Equipped with a foil cutter and a bottle opener, this type of versatile corkscrew is an essential tool for catering professionals. Compact and lightweight, it can be stored easily in a pocket and is therefore perfect for table service, where the bottle has to be opened in front of the guests. A sommelier never goes anywhere without this must-have tool, which is also the best friend of waiters on terraces and in restaurants, as well as head waiters and restaurant owners in general.
L’Atelier du Vin’s offers 3 styles of waiter’s corkscrews to choose from to suit a range of different atmospheres, as well as the preferences of the professionals who will use them each day. Our wine openers can be personalized to make each model a unique wine tool.
- The Chef Sommelier wine opener epitomizes elegance and authenticity, thanks to its traditional cut. Its sturdy ebony and steel handle provides a solid grip.
- With its slim, elegant silhouette, the Garçon corkscrew weaves between tables with ease to open premium bottles with the utmost discretion. It is available with a chrome, black or fine gold finish—a reflection of the piece’s meticulous workmanship.
- The perfect curve of the Soft Machine corkscrew heralds the joy of opening a fine bottle of wine and pouring it into a glass. With a range of stainless steel, solid brass, rosewood and crystal styles to choose from, you’ll be sure to find a version you love.
- Our cordless electric wine opener will be a sure success in a stylish, discreet setting. With surgical precision, this minimalist wine opener is a truly professional tool.
To open a large number of bottles for an event
If you need to open a large number of bottles of wine quickly and safely, the lever corkscrew is undoubtedly the most effective tool for the job. At an event with many guests to serve, this wine opening system is the perfect solution. With a simple push and pull of the lever, it only takes 2 seconds to open a bottle, so that you can keep on opening bottles in quick succession without making any sudden, unstable movements. A true workhorse in the kitchen, the Oeno Motion lever corkscrew is ideal for caterers and restaurateurs with large numbers of place settings, as well as wine specialists or estates welcoming large numbers of visitors for wine tastings.
For an intimate wine tasting in a wine cellar-an oenology ritual
What type of corkscrew is best for opening a precious bottle or tasting a fine wine in a wine cellar? The two-prong wine opener is well-suited to special occasions, just like a specialist lever corkscrew. These two extraordinary corkscrews have the mysterious ability to take you on a timeless journey to better reveal the secrets of a bottle.
- Able to delicately remove the oldest and most fragile corks without damaging them, L’Atelier du Vin’s signature Bilame two-prong corkscrew should only be handled by an experienced person who knows how to perform the magic gesture required.
- The art of opening a precious bottle of fine wine is highlighted by the Oeno Box Solid Wood lever corkscrew, the exceptional tool of choice for wine specialists, sommeliers and passionate oenologists
For drinking good wine with family and friends on a daily basis
A safe investment, a wing corkscrew—nicknamed the “Charles de Gaulle” corkscrew in France due to its resemblance to the famous victory gesture of the former French President—with a double lever and gear system is reassuringly user-friendly. If a new bottle needs to be opened, whoever is nearest will be able to pick up this corkscrew and use it with ease, without having to ask how. Upright, our Black Black double lever corkscrew will make the perfect addition to the family dining table, next to the wines, cheeses and bread. Or hanging in the kitchen, it is even easier to find and store. What if you lose it? With a bit of luck, someone around the table might have a waiter’s corkscrew in their pocket.
What’s the best wine opener based on where it’ll be used?
Where will your corkscrew be used? You can choose one of a selection of exceptional wine tools, depending on the place, or the environment, in which you want to open your most beautiful bottles. Each of the corkscrews in L’Atelier du Vin’s collection of wine openers is designed for use in a particular setting:
- at home, a double lever corkscrew or its cordless electric counterpart will fit in perfectly at the table or in the kitchen, presented standing upright;
- at a restaurant or café terrace, a waiter’s wine key or corkscrew will fit comfortably into a waiter’s pocket or hands, so they can provide smooth table service for customers with ease;
- in a wine cellar or private tasting room, lever corkscrews and two-prong wine openers are essential tools to help create moments of rare intensity;
- when traveling or on the move, you can take a waiter’s wine key or corkscrew wherever you go to enjoy a good vintage in any situation.
What’s the best wine opener to give as a gift?
Tell me who it’s for and I will tell you which corkscrew will make the perfect wine gift! If you would like to choose the perfect gift for a loved one or someone you appreciate, choose the model of corkscrew that best suits their preferences, tastes and needs—whether for personal or professional use.
The cordless electric wine opener will naturally appeal to fans of new high-tech products, modern living spaces, and solutions that require minimum effort, as well as the kind of people who are happy to enjoy a good glass of wine without having to open the bottle by hand.
The waiter’s corkscrew, on the other hand, will win over people in their prime—fans of authenticity, manual tasks, straightforward solutions and honest effort—with the simple and rustic nature of this exceptional tool. A beautiful wing corkscrew with a double lever is a true classic—the perfect gift for a parent or for grandparents who love to share good wine with the family.
The endless worm corkscrew will win over your sensitive, discerning and intellectual loved ones with particularly refined tastes thanks to its pared-back beauty and smooth ease of use. With an original design and distinctive style, a designer corkscrew will make a charming gift for any artists at heart, eccentric characters, or fans of art and all things beautiful.
Finally, for a wine enthusiast, the lever corkscrew with its oenology gift box is an excellent gift idea, unless the person it is destined for already has one. In that case, a two-prong wine opener is the perfect alternative, if this specialist wine tool is still missing from their collection of wine accessories.
What’s the best wine opener based on the cork type it will be used for?
A two-prong corkscrew should be used to open old bottles of wine and extract fragile or damaged corks, when a delicate approach is required. This is the type of corkscrew that wine specialists and sommeliers prefer to use for premium corks or fragile, damaged corks.
Other models can also work very well. Nonetheless, it is better to avoid T-shaped wine openers with full screws and electric corkscrews when extracting old or valuable corks that could easily crumble. Finally, if the vintage is relatively young and the cork is in good condition, it is up to you to pick the corkscrew of your choice.
Is your choice crystal clear now or are you still hesitating over which corkscrew to choose? If you haven’t made up your mind, just listen to your heart and let your intuition tell you what the wine lover, wine specialist or sommelier within would choose. L’Atelier du Vin, a French oenology specialist producing unique wine tools since 1926, brings you a selection of the best corkscrews and wine openers designed for the art of experiencing wine and exploring its limitless universe.