Cork Forests of Portugal and Spain

There are many different types of natural and synthetic wine closures, including the screwtop mentioned above. Natural cork closures were originally, and still are, fashioned from the bark of the Quercus Suber tree, or Cork Oak. There are roughly 5.5 million acres of cork forest worldwide with about a third growing in Portugal and a quarter in Spain. However, half of total global cork production is from Portugal and only 33% from Spain. Once a tree reaches 25 years of age, the cork is harvested from the trunk. This is repeated every nine years after that because the tree is capable of regenerating its corky bark and can live to be about 200 years old. The decision by a winery on what type of closure to use is most often driven by cost, aging potential and marketing appeal.

Function vs. Form

Over time, man has developed many different ways to open a bottle of wine. At first, the focus was simple – how to pull the cork out – and the basic corkscrew with handle and spiral “worm,” said to have been inspired by the bulletscrew or gunworm used by the military to extract stuck bullets from rifles, was developed. Over the decades, as creative and industrious beings, we continued to manufacture easier, safer, improved and aesthetic ways to open a bottle of wine. Here are just a few designs of corkscrews to choose from:

T-corkscrew – The basic design lives on, but with stronger materials and design in mind. Some are made with brass and/or stainless steel and decorated handles, including the use of leather.

Waiter Keys – A very popular style of corkscrew is the waiter “key,” which consists of a foil cutter in the form of a miniature knife at one end of the handle, a hinge at the other end and the worm in the middle. This version is most used by waiters and sommeliers in the restaurant business. It is simple to use and relies on basic physics in which the metal stabilizer extending from the hinge rests on the lip of the bottle while the user pulls up from the opposite end lifting the cork from the neck of the bottle. Many prefer the double-hinged model, which contains two lever actions keeping the worm as vertical as possible while pulling reducing the potential for cork breakage.

Lever Models – Popular models such as the Rabbit and Screwpull come in sets that often includes the corkscrew device, a foil cutter and a stand. Most are ergonomically designed and make it easy to open a bottle of wine with one full motion. Some are designed with aesthetics in mind, which allows you to proudly display your corkscrew on the kitchen counter or in the wine cellar.

Please tell us about the type of corkscrew(s) you use and why in the comments below. If you have any questions about corkscrews and what would work best for your situation, please post them in the comments below as well. Cheers!

A Farmer’s Tool

What once started as a simple farmer’s knife is now one of the most sought-after urban tools—and status symbol—to ever come out of France. The name Laguiole (pronounced, lah-yole), comes from a village in the middle of the Aveyron region of France, where the original knives were first made in 1829 by Jean-Pierre Calmels. It was a popular knife for farmers since it was adapted to their particular needs. Originally used to cut bread and wood, later, a poinçon or piercer was added that they could use to make holes in harnesses or to pierce the stomach of bloated animals suffering from colic. [I know, TMI, but hey, I'm not making this stuff up.] As needs changed, so did the knife. In 1880, as poor farmers emigrated to nearby Paris to open restaurants and bars, a corkscrew was added to the knife.

Signature Bee

Many legends exist regarding the insect forged on the spring. Many believe it is a fly or horsefly that was commonly seen in the Aveyron region because of the cattle bred in the region. In fact, the catch on a Laguiole knife is often referred to as la mouche (the fly) in French. However, the locals prefer another, more glamorous story suggesting that the insect is a bee, an imperial symbol, bestowed by Napoleon himself to the town of Laguiole in thanks for the bravery of its soldiers. [Now that's a French story that IS made up.]

Popularity Brings Change

Over the years, as demand grew, production increased and the manufacture of the knives gradually moved 100 miles northwest to the town of Thiers. By 1981, these famous knives were all produced in Thiers. In 1988, the town of Laguiole built two forges to once again produce its namesake products, but most authentic Laguiole products are still produced in Thiers. While the design of the Laguiole knife is over 170 years old, the design of the coveted Laguiole corkscrews made today is actually only 20 years old. Today the Laguiole name and signature bee on the spring is on folding knives, corkscrews, table cutlery and even cigar cutters.

Cheap Knock-Offs

There is a lot of confusion about the Laguiole name and the signature bee. Laguiole is not a single company that produces these knives and corkscrews. Aside from being the name of the village in Aveyron and the name of a semi-hard cheese, Laguiole is really just a generic name of a folding knife. Because the name Laguiole and the bee on the spring were never trademarked, many inexpensive, low-quality knock-offs have flooded the market. Just because there’s a bee on the spring or bolster, doesn’t mean it’s made in France. Many of these low quality machine-made knives and corkscrews are made in China or Pakistan. And even in France, there are different levels of quality, from inexpensive mostly machine-made items to high-end, fully hand-made and engraved products, with a high price tag to match.

The Laguiole corkscrews and cutlery offered by IWA strike a nice balance between high-quality and affordability. Proudly made in Thiers, France by the craftsmen at the Jean Dubost Company, our Laguiole products are beautiful, functional and durable. Holding one in your hand is like like holding a piece of French history. Not only should you get one for yourself, they make excellent gifts for the wine aficionados in your life too.

Here’s an interesting video showing the process of hand-assembling a sommelier’s corkscrew.

Here’s a few gift ideas just in time for Father’s Day:

Avanti 52-Bottle Built-In Mini Cellar – Give your Father the gift of Built-In Wine Storage! This is the built-in mini cellar he’s been hoping to get! It has stainless steel-trimmed glass doors, an LED readout for temperature setting and monitoring, slide out chrome racking for easy access and interior display lights to show off the collection.

SoWine Home Wine Bar by Transtherm – Give Dad the ultimate in wine preservation. The SoWine chills and preserves opened wine for up to ten days! The compact design will fit easily in the kitchen or Dad’s smoking lounge.

Vinturi Wine Aerator Gift Set – This Father’s Day, Dad deserves a great glass of wine…perfectly aerated by the Vinturi. The Vinturi Gift Set includes the popular Vinturi Wine Aerator beautifully packaged with the Vinturi Tower that holds the Vinturi for elegant wine service by the glass.

Ultima Stemware – Don’t let Dad drink wine in those tiny little wine glasses. Give him the strongest, clearest & most resilient glass crystal ever created! The Ultima Series is designed to enhance a wine’s flavor and bouquet. He’ll appreciate this gift every time he takes a sip.

Bronze Estate Opener – Now Dad can open a wine bottle quickly with modern technology and antique charm. Our Bronze Estate Opener works with both standard and flanged bottles and makes opening wine easy while looking great…the opener that is, but Dad will look pretty good too.

Laguiole Black Horn Steak Knives – Nothing goes better with wine than a great dinner. And a great dinner deserves the finest cutlery. Heirloom worthy, these knives are handcrafted in France of the finest quality, stainless steel for the blades. A set of six for when all the guys (and gals) get together for steaks.

So don’t delay. Order your Father’s Day gift today and surprise Dad with something he really wants.

We put Katie, our Marketing Manager—a seasoned pro who has opened plenty of bottles with a waiter’s corkscrew—up against Katie’s grandmother, Sue—who is an occasional wine drinker with the Vertical Rabbit—and they shot it out in this quick video.

I also suggest a couple of accessories from IWA, such as the SwiftTURN opener and Champagne Xpress, that can help you open the bottle and keep the leftovers…like there will be any. HA! By the way, if you need some bubbly, such as the 2001 Windsor Vineyards Brut, North Coast, Platinum Series shown in the video, it not too late to order some for New Years Eve from Windsor Vineyards.

Happy Holidays and a special thank-you to Bill and Cathy Fallis of Vine Tasting Wine Bar & Bistro in downtown Windsor, CA. for letting me use their beautiful wine bar for my video.