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Holiday Gift Guide, Part I
Stocking stuffers for opening and preserving wine
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Many Champagne openers require you to remove the foil capsule and wire cage before they can do their job, but a loose cork or warm bottle of bubbly can spell misfired trouble. Because it grabs and removes the capsule, cage and cork in one step, the Champagne Xpress is an excellent way to prevent errant corks. After hooking the front of the plierslike device through the eyelet of the wire cage, two spikes on either side of the handles grip the cork, which can then be coaxed out without worry. Champagne Xpress costs $10; for retailers, visit www.franmara.com or call (800) 423-5855. |
| It's hard to improve on the classic design of the trusty waiter's corkscrew, but the folks at Pulltap's seem to better themselves each year. The sleek, nickel-plated Extendo corkscrew has the same double-hinged lever that made a generation of waiters devoted to the Pulltap's brand, but also comes with an extendable handle for compact storage. The Extendo costs $49; for retailers, visit www.franmara.com or call (800) 423-5855. |
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Metrokane's VIP edition of its popular Rabbit wine opener sounds more like a luxury car than a corkscrew: Its die-cast metal body is finished in mirrorlike chrome, and it comes with a polished-chrome foil cutter and a leather-wrapped chrome case. The set costs $125 and is available at www.metrokane.com. |
| Screwpull's five-piece gift set includes the company's top sellers: the classic Lever Model wine opener (with spare screw), a foil cutter, bottle stopper and drip ring. The set costs $100 and is widely available; see www.screwpull.com for ordering and retail information. |
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The stainless-steel Private Vintage Wine Preserver offers two things most bicycle-style wine pumps do not: It can be operated with one hand, and it lets you know when it has removed all the air in the bottle. The one-handed squeeze action takes a bit of forearm strength to master, but once the Wine Preserver has finished, it lets you know with a telltale "pfft" sound. The Wine Preserver, which comes with two bottle stoppers, costs $20 and is available at International Wine Accessories, at www.iwawine.com or (800) 527-4072. |
| The Brucart Wine Saver is an all-in-one vacuum pump and bottle stopper, which means there are no rubber stoppers to lose. After pumping out the remaining air in the bottle, simply twist the cap to lock it into place. Although it looks hefty, the pump fits over the bottle neck and still allows the sealed bottle to be stored in the refrigerator or wine cooler. Wine Savers cost $10 each; for retailers, visit www.franmara.com or call (800) 423-5855. |
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