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Want a wine opener that looks great on the counter? This old-school standing corkscrew is a real showpiece, but is it practical?
This is a standing wine bottle opener, the stylish old-school kind. It works much like a Rabbit-style lever opener, but it’s clamped to a stand with a big base, so it looks like it’s floating. They’re about $50, so you’d get one for style more than function. I found a bottle with a real cork to show you how it works.
- Real presence on a bar or counter
- Pulls a cork in one smooth handle stroke
- Rubber pads grip the bottle
- Easy cork release once you know the trick
- Always out, so no hunting for a corkscrew
- No support under the bottle; you rely on grip strength
- Pulling the handle toward you torques the whole stand
- The bar flexes a little
- No more practical than a drawer opener
▶ Watch the full review on YouTube
How it is built
The base is cast metal with a faux-wood platform. A powder-coated steel bar, about an inch and a half wide, rises from it, and the opener clamps onto the bar with a screw, like a hardware clamp, which gives it that floating look.
The opener itself is cast metal in an antique brass or bronze color, with grapes molded in, “Vintners” on one side and “Reserve” on the other. A curved handle with a wooden grip drives the corkscrew, and a clamping handle with some engraving holds the bottle.
How the lever works
One full pull of the handle toward you, about three-quarters of a circle, plunges the corkscrew down and back up. My criticism: you’re pulling the handle toward you while holding the bottle, so the whole thing torques in your direction. It’s braced on the bar, but it would be easier if the two forces opposed each other directly.
Opening a bottle
The bottle won’t sit in the opener on its own; you lift it into the grips and hold it there. There’s nothing supporting it from below, so you’re counting on grip strength, though there are rubber pads inside. A Rabbit-style opener lets the bottle rest on the counter, which I like better.
I gripped the bottle hard, pulled the handle all the way down, and back out came the cork, with a little extra pull. You can see the bar twist a bit under the load.
To get the cork off the screw: grab the cork with the grippers at its lowest point, then pull the handle back. The cork comes right off.
Verdict
It definitely works, and it’s a cool showpiece with a lot of presence. Is it the most practical? No; pretty much any opener works. But if you’re a big wine drinker and want one out all the time, or don’t want people asking where the corkscrew is, it’s an impressive piece for under $50.
FAQ
How does a standing corkscrew work?
You hold the bottle in the grips and pull the handle about three-quarters of a turn, which drives the corkscrew in and pulls the cork out.
How do you get the cork off?
Grab the cork with the grippers at its lowest point and pull the handle back.
Does the bottle rest on anything?
No. You hold it up in the rubber-padded grips.
How much does it cost?
About $50.
Is it better than a regular corkscrew?
Not really in function, but it looks great left out.
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