Which wine opener to use, twin-blade cork remover or classic two-step corkscrew?

You should use a twin-blade if you want to avoid breakage of the cork when pulling it out of the bottle. You can use this device if you are opening an old bottle of wine where the cork may not be in good condition or if you want to keep the cork for your collection.

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This device has many names: Two-Prong Cork Puller, Double Blade Cork Puller but sommeliers are usually more familiar with the name of Ah So Wine Opener.

To use one, you just have to put the long end between the cork and the bottle, then do the same with the other blade on the other side of the cork. You wiggle gently the two ends down until the blades are all the way in the bottle. Then, you do a full rotation to make sure the cork sticks no more to the bottle and you can start pulling it up using the handle and turning gently.

This device is easy to use and you just need some practice. The two most common errors from beginners are:
1/ Pushing too much on the device when inserting the blades (it will push the cork down)
2/ Starting removing the cork without having done a full rotation first (the blades might get out without the cork)

The best devices are the most simple ones. Blades should not be too curved.

You can get a good model for a few hundred bahts in one of Wine Gallery Cellars.

 

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