Opening wine without whine

Waiters always make it look easy. They zip off the foil and ease out the cork in less time than it takes to pronounce the name of the wine. And for some, that performance should come with the disclaimer, “Do not attempt this at home.”

The traditional waiter-style corkscrew is just the beginning in a long list of available ways to open wine, and as with any other activity, it takes a little practice to get it right. In addition to the waiter-style opener, and its many variations, there are electric and air-pressure openers as well as high-end table-mounted ones.

Jennifer DeSimone, operations manager for Vino! A Wine Shop in Spokane prefers a waiter-style corkscrew (a central handle with a foil cutter, lever and spiral attached). She recommends a two-tiered lever that takes the cork out in two smooth motions for easier opening. But because not all wine bottles are created equal, neither should the implement that opens it.

“Make sure you have a couple of different types of openers in the house, ” she suggests.

Because specialty wine openers don’t always work as well on synthetic corks, DeSimone suggests selecting an opener after you remove the foil and identify the type of cork.

“Once you see it’s a real cork then you can pull out the fancy opener,” she adds.

As with anything else associated with wine, cost varies widely. Bottom-of-the- line corkscrews can be had for under $5. An authentic French Laguiole opener sells for around $115. For that price you get a stainless steel, reinforced “worm joint” (the actual spot where the screw attaches to the handle) and a French name. Pay a little more, and the handle is made of an exotic wood, silver or bone.

The Rabbit has a bunny-ear profile and is a lever-model opener that features metal gears. It costs between $60 and $100, depending on which options it includes.

Stray from the traditional waiter-style corkscrew, and wine opening gets interesting. Rogar International makes ornately decorated openers that come with their own stand. They are a slightly modified reproduction of the Prohibition-era Champion opener and will open and re-cork most flange-top bottles. They range from a bare-bones $100 model to a silver-plated version for $240.

Less expensive – much less – are the Swiss-made Zyliss openers, which are designed to fit all wine bottles. This opener automatically centers a coated spiral that makes cork removal smoother and less likely to leave cork particles in the wine. It comes in bright shades of greens, blues and reds and sells for about $20.

Frank Dietz, general manager of Anthony’s at Spokane Falls also prefers a waiter-style corkscrew.

“Select a corkscrew with a sharp foil cutter (the little knife part) and a sharp point on the screw. Make sure you lift straight up and not out on the handle,” she explains.

Wine enthusiast and collector John Weisbrod says although he often uses a waiter-style corkscrew, sometimes difficult corks need extra help.

He prefers using a cork puller called Screwpull. It has a one handed viselike grip and a lever that inserts the cork into the bottle. If all else fails and you have an expensive bottle of wine that defies the opener, he suggests, as an absolute last resort, pushing the cork into the bottle.

“Desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures,” he quips.

Whatever choice of opener a shopper makes DeSimone recommends having someone demonstrate how to use the product.

“It’s good to have someone do a show and tell.”