The foil cutter
When serving wine, the first tool to get is a foil cutter.
Some people make the mistake of tearing off the capsule that covers the neck of the bottle. This often leaves debris in the glass. By using a foil cutter or a waiter’s friend, you ensure a service free of unwanted residue.
The corkscrew
Removing the capsule reveals the cork. It is almost impossible to remove it without damaging it, so a corkscrew quickly becomes an essential tool for any wine lover. On the market, you will find two types of corkscrew worm: the Archimedean screw and the spiral, more commonly called the pigtail.
The spiral is the one we recommend most for opening a bottle without finding cork in your glass. In this range, the Pulltex Pullparrot corkscrew, winner of first prize at the Corkscrew competition in Gevrey-Chambertin, is the easiest to use thanks to its retractable double lever.
For older bottles with a more fragile cork, we recommend the two-prong cork puller, which removes old corks without damaging them.
First published in Vins & Vignobles magazine, vol. 21, no. 1. Photos: Vin & Passion.
