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Finding a corkscrew or wine key that you vibe with can be difficult. What’s the difference between the two tools? A corkscrew has two arms that lift and a top pull that twists, allowing leverage to help pull up the cork. A wine key, sometimes called a waiter’s corkscrew, has a small knife and uses a metal fulcrum positioned on the lip of the bottle to create leverage to lift the cork up and out. A good wine key or corkscrew needs to be sharp enough to easily pierce through the cork, have a good grip and, above all, be easy to use. Often, poor quality corkscrews can damage corks, leaving little shards of wood in your glass, or can disintegrate your cork entirely, leaving you with little ability to open your wine. If you’re in the market for a wine key or corkscrew, here are some that sommeliers swear by. Pulltex Pulltap Black Cordoba “I am completely loyal to the Pulltex Pulltap Black Cordoba, which in my opinion is the best corkscrew in the market if you are looking for a traditional waiter’s corkscrew,” says Yannick Benjamin, sommelier and cofounder of Wine On Wheels, a group of wine professionals who raise money for charity. “This beautiful corkscrew has an elegant black horn handle that allows you to open up the wine in two steps because it has a double lever system that is made of stainless steel. It feels great in my hands, and I have never used any other corkscrew since I started using it in 2012.” Pulltap Double-Hinged Corkscrew “We find Pulltap double-hinged corkscrews in our back pockets, the bottom of our bags [and] even in the cup holder of our car. Let's just say—one is always available,” says Caitlin Frame, co-owner of Sunny’s Natural Wine Shop in Amesbury, Massachusetts. “For me, it also doubled as a fidget spinner when I had to talk to that particularly chatty customer.” Coutale Waiter’s Corkscrew “Our favorite wine key is a Coutale spring loaded, double lever waiter’s corkscrew,” says Rachel Pronovost, co-owner of Curio Coffee & Wine in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “We like that’s it’s fast, easy on the cork and gentle on the wrist. The foil cutter is pretty good, but we tend to just grip the bottle and yank off the capsule whenever we can.” Houdini Waiter’s Corkscrew “When in service or while teaching a class, I flaunt some Dedalus swag by grabbing our branded two step waiter’s corkscrew by Houdini,” says Brittany Galbraith, wine director at Dedalus Wine Bar in Vermont. “This key’s lightweight frame, short knife and agile two-step system makes it my easy-to grab, easy-to use tool to get to the important stuff: pouring delicious wines for our guests. Also, I love when they get broken in and the hinge gets a little loose. For more delicate corks, I reach for my beloved Ah So opener.” Laguiole W L'Essentiel Wine Key “I’ve worked with a lot of wine keys, some extremely expensive. One brand [the Laguiole World Sommelier Series], despite being beautiful and crafted with sustainable material with a long history of production, kept on breaking, and my wine keys from Code 38 kept on getting stolen,” says Pascaline Lepeltier, partner at Racines NY and winemaker at chëpìka. “So I looked for a very affordable wine key with all the quality I needed. The Laguiole W L'Essentiel has a barely serrated long sharp blade that doesn’t need to be sharpened for years. It also has a long screw in titanium for long corks and dense corks like Diams, a double edge and a good handle. It also has a great price and guarantee. We started to design some merchandising for chëpìka and this is the one we chose to customize. I would like it to be more sustainably made, though.” Zwilling Waiter’s Corkscrew “I’ve managed to collect wine keys during my wine career,” says Margot Mazur, wine writer and educator at The Fizz. “They’re everywhere, in the bottom of each tote bag, in my jacket pockets, sometimes ripping a hole from the pocket in the back of my jeans. Some of these wine keys last [and] some don’t. But when I want to use something special, I reach for the wine key I purchased on a trip to Bordeaux in 2018 in the Bordeaux Tourist Office. It’s hefty with some good weight, and has a very sharp screw, which is really important for a good wine tool. I love it so much, I even got it tattooed. The closest thing I can find is the Zwilling Waiter’s Corkscrew—a bit pricier than some other options, but it’ll be the one you’ll reach for when special bottles come around.”

Houdini 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon (St. Helena)

Houdini 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon (St. Helena)

Houdini 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (St. Helena)

Houdini 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (St. Helena)

Houdini 2017 Dean Block Chardonnay (Napa Valley)

Houdini 2017 Dean Block Chardonnay (Napa Valley)

Houdini 2016 Merlot (Napa Valley)

Houdini 2016 Merlot (Napa Valley)

Houdini 2017 Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley)

Houdini 2017 Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley)

Talaria 2012 Sonoma Cuvée Red (Sonoma County)

Talaria 2012 Sonoma Cuvée Red (Sonoma County)

Black Bean Salad with Hominy and Fresh Vegetables

Black Bean Salad with Hominy and Fresh Vegetables

The Best Corkscrews and Wine Keys, According to Pros

The Best Corkscrews and Wine Keys, According to Pros

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Magic Shows Where Your Drink Can Disappear

Tokyo's Best Wine Bars

Tokyo's Best Wine Bars

Pauline Oudin Adds Savoir Faire to Branding

Pauline Oudin Adds Savoir Faire to Branding