For openers, stores offer high-tech wine gadgetry

Max Jacobson

Wednesday, March 6, 2002 | 8:27 a.m.

Until wine producers adopt the screw-top en masse, the challenge for anyone opening a wine bottle remains getting the cork out in a timely fashion, without breakage.

This isn't always possible, as corks become brittle over time if stored upright. But an ever- increasing variety of gadgets exist on the market, to make the task both easier and more efficient.

Dominic Bora owns Las Vegas Wine Company at 3050 E. Desert Inn Road, and he claims to have the city's largest selection of wine openers -- more than 20 styles, from the humble and annoyingly difficult $2.99 Twistop Cork Puller (two flat metal blades which are inserted into opposite sides of a cork, attached to a plastic handle) to a nifty contraption called The Rabbit, which works faster than a magic wand, and at the Wine Company sells for $59.99.

That last price is by no means the highest for a wine opener. Sur La Table, at the Aladdin's Desert Passage mall, sells a model called the Screwpull Lever, which works on the same principle as The Rabbit, and costs a hefty $139.99. And there are many other options in between.

Many wine professionals still opt for something called the waiter's wine opener, which also comes in several sizes, shapes and prices. This is a long plastic or metal device housing a blade foil cutter, a corkscrew that comes out of a holder perpendicular to the device, and a lever similar to a hinge extended from one end.

The idea is to line up the point of the corkscrew into the center of the cork, and then, using a hinge on the end of the device, use leverage to pull up the cork manually, applying as much pressure as necessary.

The advantages to using one of these devices, which begin at around $4.99, is that they rarely break the cork when inserted properly, and that they are light, simple and easy to carry. The disadvantage is that they require a bit of dexterity, as well as a bit of strength, especially when the corks are wedged in tightly.

Steven Hua, sommelier at Piero Selvaggio Valentino at The Venetian, uses one with two hinges -- one to pull up the cork halfway, and a second hinge, in the middle of the lever, for extra leverage.

"These are the best openers I've found for opening older wines," Hua says, "and they look very professional in the dining room."

Similarly, Terry O'Neil, sommelier at Emeril's New Orleans Fish House at MGM Grand, also prefers the standard waiter's wine opener. But he says that the best is called Les Thiers, a heavyweight stainless-steel model with a longer handle, a tempered corkscrew and a leather holster, which is available through World Wine Imports -- (404) 964-9866. The price? A whopping $99.99. This is usually sought after by professionals.

Bora is happy to show off a few openers in his repertory. First he shows the Wing Corkscrew ($4.99), a handle attached to a corkscrew with two metal wings that rise as the corkscrew is inserted. The cork is removed by pushing down on the wings.

"I wouldn't recommend this one," he says. "It often breaks up the cork." But ironically, he is quick to add, it is one of the most popular.

Then he shows the Screwpull ($24.99) and two openers that operate on this principle -- Metalla, ($11.99) and The Faucet ($11.99), which has a cute, chrome faucet-like top.

The idea with these openers is to place a plastic or metal hat directly over the bottle top, and then turn the handle. First the corkscrew descends into the cork's center, since the hat controls the placement. Then as the handle is further turned, the cork rises.

These are all excellent, but the reason pros don't use them in restaurants is simply this: It is necessary to set the bottle upright on the table to use one, inelegant in a fine restaurant.

Bora's best-selling waiter's opener is $15.99, because it is silver plated, with a Teflon corkscrew.

He also sells a lot of the clever Cork Pops III ($24.99). This looks similar to a long hypodermic needle, and a CO2 cartridge is used to eject the cork. First the foil is removed with a built-in cutter, and then the needle is inserted through the cork, with the bottle held upright. When the cartridge is pressed with the thumb, out pops the cork.

For sheer magic and ease of use, though, The Rabbit is unbeatable. The cork comes out in three seconds, as Bora demonstrated.

Sommelier Hua uses The Rabbit when he is opening multiple bottles for a tasting. Here's how it works:

The two "rabbit ears," or handles, are spread, and the corkscrew, housed under a cap that places it directly above the center of the cork, is readied. Then a long handle is lifted, driving the corkscrew into the cork, and in a swift second movement, depressed, pulling it out in the same fashion. What makes this good is durability, construction, ease of use and reliability.

Hua says that he's opened hundreds of bottles with his Rabbit opener, and always gets foolproof results.

The Screwpull Lever is heavier, sturdier and can be table-mounted, but the price -- more than double that of The Rabbit -- probably isn't justified, unless one plans to open thousands of wines.

A new, and less-expensive version of The Rabbit, Pull-It, is $39.99 at Las Vegas Wine Company. The low price is a result of being manufactured in Hong Kong, and because Bora buys them directly from the import company. He says he has opened around 500 bottles with his Pull-It.

Sur La Table has around 15 different wine openers, and another good place for a wide selection is Lee's Discount Liquors, 7411 W. Lake Mead Blvd.

Just to compare a few prices, The Rabbit is $79.99 at Sur La Table, and $64.99 in silver at Lee's Lake Mead. But the Screwpull is $19.99 at Lee's, so shop around.