True Soar Winged Corkscrew

A winged corkscrew, sometimes called a butterfly corkscrew, is built around a simple mechanism. You turn the screw (the helical "worm") into the cork, and two side levers rise as it descends. Pressing those levers down draws the cork out in one steady pull. The True Soar from Esplanda follows this format. Details like materials, finish and exact dimensions aren't listed for this item, so check the product photos for those. The main advantage of this style is leverage. The levers do most of the lifting, so it suits tight natural corks and also helps with older bottles. Bottles of that age can have brittle corks, which are easier to remove with slow, even pressure than with a hard yank. It's also easy to learn: the cork only needs to be straight, and the winged action keeps the pull vertical instead of letting it drift sideways. For a clean opening, cut the foil below the lip of the bottle so no foil touches the wine as it pours. Set the point of the screw slightly off-center on the cork, then turn until only about one turn of the worm stays visible. Boring all the way through risks pushing crumbs into the wine. Press the levers down slowly. For sparkling wine, a winged corkscrew is the wrong tool, because those bottles use a wire cage and are meant to be eased open by hand. This style is made for natural-cork wine bottles, and it also works on many synthetic closures. Keep it with your glassware and decanter, since it's the tool you'll want before pouring a red that needs air or an aged bottle that may throw sediment. It stores flat in a drawer or bar kit, and the levers fold down for compact storage.