Although a majority of wines comes in screw caps now but there are a handful of wines which are bottled using the traditional corks. There are of course many types of wine opener including the popular rabbit ear and the wing corkscrew but if you would like to open a bottle professionally like a sommelier, there is only one type of corkscrew which is the sommelier opener or known also as the waiter’s friend.
The major reason why it is called a waiter’s friend is because it is reliable and can be carried around the restaurant easily in the pocket. Some said that it can get quite difficult to master but trust me it is definitely worth it.
Each sommelier opener has a retractable knife, a fulcrum, a handle and a worm. The retractable knife is first use to remove the foil from the tip of the bottle. This can be done by holding the bottle still and turn it so that the knife can rotate around the bottle.
Once the foil is removed, the cork is exposed then follow the below steps
- Insert the worm and rotate the worm all the way through about six and a half times twist
- Position the top lever of the fulcrum to begin the cork extraction until halfway out
- Use the bottom lever of the fulcrum to remove the cork completely from the bottle
- Remove the cork extracted from the worm
Attached here below is a link for a video on how to use a sommelier’s knife by wine educator Marnie Old for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1OoHQnEfYE
If you are like me who drinks wines on a regular basis, it is good to invest in a sturdy waiter’s knife as it definitely can last.