The art of uncorking: our selection of corkscrews

Is there one utensil you can't live without? The one that hangs in every drawer, from the camper van to the chateau to the least well-equipped Airbnb? The corkscrew, of course, which is nothing new. Neither did wine, but it wasn't until the 17th century and the English, the world's biggest wine importers and wine lovers, that bottle-opening utensils began to appear. And not from the winegrowers, but rather from the gunsmiths' guilds, who hijacked the ballscrews used to break open firearms. The birth of the corkscrew coincided with the introduction of bottle ageing rather than barrel ageing, with ever-narrower necks to preserve the wine. The British Reverend Samuel Henshall invented and patented the first corkscrew in 1795.

Glory to the limonadier

These early bottle-openers resembled the T-shaped wooden handle and twist that we still use today. Later patented by Edwin Walker, the American model The Walker Bell in 1893 pushes (bottle and pulls) the cork a little further: thanks to a stop system welded to its shaft, the device holds the bottle down as the handle rotates, allowing the cork to rise. It is still considered one of the best ways of removing old or fragile corks.

In an ideal world, the cork is docile. The serrated knife cuts the flange with an elegant flick of the wrist, the mirror (top part of the cork) appears, and the sommelier has only to screw it into the bottle.all the sommelier has to do is screw the cork into place, then gently extract the last barrier separating you from your first sensations. But that's not always the case. When the going gets tough, you can always pull out a model with a worm screw, or a bell corkscrew, another British invention. Purists will never part with their limonadier, a slim, folding accessory that simply combines a stainless steel worm, a bottle opener and a lever. It remains the unfailing friend of professionals. Simple and effective.

The victory of "Mon général

As for the nostalgic, their hearts will lean towards the famous winged model, invented in the 1930s by Italian designer Dominick Rosati and later nicknamed it was later nicknamed the "de Gaulle" corkscrew, after the General's signature gesture of generously saluting the crowd by raising both arms. More than 350 corkscrew patents have been registered, and two museums are dedicated to them in France, one at Ménerbes in the Luberon and the other at Beine in the Yonne. Helixpomaphiles (corkscrew collectors) bow down to them. Oenophiles may prefer to browse through the new products: Screwpull, Peugeot Saveurs, Le Creuset and, for the lazy, the electric corkscrew in stainless steel and polycarbonate with rechargeable batteries. All it takes is a light touch of the finger to gently release any bottle. The key, as with all kitchen utensils, is to find your own.

The Gault&Millau selection

Classic, designer or practical, find the corkscrew that suits you and, above all, that opens all your bottles without a hitch.

1. Modern. Refillable and customizable electric bottle opener, with cap cutter, Bartelli, €60 + €12 customization.
2. Professional. Easy-to-use lever corkscrew with capsule cutter, "LM-250", Le Creuset, €119.
3. A must-have. Bilame corkscrew - to extract the cork without piercing it - in raw zamac with leather case, "Bilame Craft", l'Atelier du vin, €62.
4. elegant. Vertical-lever corkscrew in chromed metal and solid wood with leather case, "Oeno Motion Wood & Chrome", L'Atelier du vin, 139 €.
5. Automatic. Carbon corkscrew, rechargeable electric, 100% automatic, "Line Reverse", Peugeot Saveurs, €119.90.
6. Design. Silver-plated lever corkscrew, "Adamina", Lusini, €33.59.
7. Iconic. De Gaulle" corkscrew with double lever and zamak bottle opener - easy opening, L'atelier du vin, €47.
8. Authentic. Toledo" double-lever corkscrew in steel and oak, Pulltex, €65.