Although cork was used as a stopper for jars and amphoras by the Greeks and Romans, it seemed to fall out of favour as the Roman Empire collapsed and really didn’t resurface again until the 1700s in England. It was then that the first references to corkscrews were made. In fact, the first known corkscrew patent was granted in England in 1795. However, many historians believe that the device was originally used to open bottles of beer and cider.

Early corkscrews were modelled on ‘gun worms’ which were used to remove bullets stuck in gun barrels. The worm had a simple wooden handle attached to it and hey presto the first corkscrew was invented, and this type of model is still used today. A German, Carl Wienke, is believed to have invented the commonly known ‘waiters friend’ or ‘sommelier knife’ corkscrew and was granted the patent in 1882. He was later granted patents in England and France but it was not until 1979 that an American, Herbert Allen from Huston, Texas, invented the screwpull, which today is found in most households.

Yet, despite its relative newness, there are many different types of corkscrews on the market and what you decide to use is really down to personal preference. But just remember that cheap imitations are readily available so it’s worth shopping around and finding which corkscrew suits you and your budget; because if you are serious about your wine, then you will be serious about your corkscrew.

When purchasing a new corkscrew, one of the most important things to consider is length. Yep, length matters because if the ‘screw’ is too short it will not be able to pull longer corks (normally used in more expensive bottles of wine) which can lead to broken corks and embarrassment as you nonchalantly try to stab the remaining piece of cork and drag it out. Another consideration is width and again size matters because if the screw is too thick it will simply break the cork apart and leave you hunting for a sieve so you strain off all the lumpy bits! Most waiters and sommeliers recommend that you use either a waiter’s knife or a screwpull as they are capable of pulling the most stubborn of corks out of a bottle. Screwpulls are also a good choice as they require little effort as opposed to the straight pull type.

Another consideration is making sure that your corkscrew will fit all types of wine bottle and that it can remove both natural and synthetic corks. There is nothing so embarrassing when wining and dining your nearest and dearest to find that your corkscrew won’t fit the expensive bottle of wine you’ve just purchased for the occasion. Relying on your old friend ‘brute force’ to knock the cork into the bottle is all very well but you will still have to hunt around for the sieve to remove all the extra pieces. And believe it or not, pulling a cork out of a bottle should be a pleasurable experience!

So, before you get carried away make sure you practice your corkscrew technique. And remember, when you insert the tip of the ‘screw’ into the cork, not too press too hard as you really want to hook the cork and then gently allow it to draw itself onto the screw rather than stabbing it to death. Once you’ve learned to hook the cork, pulling will suddenly become so much easier, but as I say, it all takes practice…

So, until next month… happy pulling!