Twister™: Easy-Turn Corkscrew

The Twister Easy-Turn Corkscrew, from Esplanda, is a hand-operated bottle opener built around a turning action. The name points to a twist-to-open design meant to cut down on the force needed to draw a cork. The listing doesn't give materials, dimensions or the exact mechanism. Check the product images for those before you assume a lever, a winged arm or a T-handle. Corkscrews in this easy-turn category usually pair a helical screw (the worm) with a handle that gives you a comfortable grip and some leverage. For a natural cork in a standard wine bottle, cut the foil just below the lip so the rim stays clean when you pour. Center the screw's tip on the cork and turn it straight down. Stop before the worm pierces the bottom of the cork, because crumbled cork in the glass usually comes from going all the way through. Then ease the cork out slowly instead of pulling hard. Aged bottles with brittle corks call for even more patience. A steady, gradual pull lowers the chance of the cork breaking. What you open with it decides the serving. Reds generally show best slightly below room temperature, around cellar temperature. Whites and rosés are best chilled, and sparkling wine should be cold. Sparkling wine is the exception for this tool, since its caged, pressurized corks are meant to be released by hand and not drawn with a screw. Pour reds into a larger-bowled glass so the wine has room to breathe, whites into a narrower tulip-shaped glass to hold aromas and temperature, and let a young, tight red sit in the glass or a decanter for a short time after opening. Keep the corkscrew with the bottle opener tools in a drawer, bar cart or picnic basket. After use, wipe the screw clean and dry so it stays free of residue.