Allie Corkscrew

The Allie Corkscrew is a wine-opening tool, and a corkscrew is judged on how it handles a cork, not on flavor. The listing doesn't specify its mechanism, materials or dimensions, so those aren't described here. Check the product photos for the exact design before you buy. With any corkscrew, the first step is to cut the foil just below the lip of the bottle, so the cut edge doesn't touch the wine as it pours. Wipe the rim, then center the worm (the spiral) on the cork. Turn it steadily until only one turn or so remains visible. Driving it all the way through can push crumbs of cork into the wine. Pull the cork out slowly in the last few millimeters, since a quick yank is how corks break and how reds spray. Older bottles and long, dry corks are the usual trouble spots. For these, keep the bottle upright, go in slowly, and pull gently. If a cork does crumble, decant through a fine strainer instead of fighting what is left in the neck. A corkscrew works with still wines closed by natural cork, such as reds, whites and rosés. Sparkling wine is a different case. Its cage and wired cork are removed by hand, with the cork held while the bottle is turned, so a corkscrew isn't needed. Screw-cap bottles don't need one either. Once the bottle is open, serve each style to suit it. Light whites and rosés are usually poured cool from the fridge, and fuller reds are usually served a little below room temperature. Use a wide-bowled glass for reds and a narrower one for whites. If a bottle has been resting for a while, a short time in a decanter or a wide glass often softens the first pour.