Tools of the Trade - Coutale Sommelier Series

Coutale Sommelier Wine Keys: Innovation, Pocket, Prestige

If you are working the floor in the wine business, you know the value of a good, no hopefully GREAT, corkscrew - or wine key as we sometimes refer to it as. I get asked somewhat frequently what my favorite corkscrew is and the answer often surprises. Most people expect that I have a fancy (read that as expensive) wine key form a top producer. Well, I have a few of those, but most are actually broken.

The brand I prefer to use has a number of different styles and feels, but ultimately Coutale is what I have come to value for its durability and styling, which is comfortable and functional. For the most part, I get wine keys form suppliers for no cost, and these are given out to my staff to use. But for my personal needs it is Coutale in my pocket. And when I am working an event or taking care of guests as a Sommelier, I prefer to have two keys in my pocket - never know when one will break - and different corks sometimes call for different means of extractions. What does that mean?

The Coutale Sommelier series of wine keys has multiple levels (see the picture), of which there are slight differences in how they are made. Each has a slightly variation to the worm, the blade, and the way it is engineered - giving a different feel or practical nature to various corks and other closures.

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Coutale Sommelier Innovation
This is a great wine key. It feels great in the hand, has a stylish look, and perhaps most important to me - the blade is straight and flat. Most waiter keys that are handed out by suppliers are of a similar type, which all have a very serrated knife blade. These are fine, but I find the blades rip the foil rather than always cutting it. If I am working with this type of key, I will take the blade in the kitchen and grind it down and sharpen it on the chef's knife block to get the points off the blade and make it smooth. The Coutale Innovation has already done this. Great key and not expensive. Plus, it should last through a lot of bottle openings.

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Coutale Sommelier Pocket
This is also a great key to have in your 'pocket', and the one I have in my hand most of the time. Very similar to the Innovation, but with a longer blade on the knife and a spring mechanism built into the first step on the bottle lever. This is also a little showier as it comes in styles that are of a wood design on the handle, as well as a full stainless-steel back-bone. Both the Innovation and Pocket come with Teflon coated worms, which make the process of screwing into the cork very easy - usually.

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Coutale Sommelier Prestige
This is, as the name implies, a fancy looking wine key. It is a pleasure to work with though and it feels great in the hand. The knife is on the bottom of the handle with this one, but that allows for a larger and easier approach to the foil, especially with Champagne bottles. The weight is almost double the others, so it feels like a true hand-tool when using. The design is mostly stainless-steel with a selection of wooden handles that look great. this is the key you want to have while working the floor of a top restaurant as it just looks impressive. The worm is made of stainless, with a back groove that allows for the worm to slide into the cork easily. Also with a spring mechanism int he cork lever, this is as easy to use as any key your will find, and should last a lifetime with the triple backbone of steel; it's solid.

For me, these are the tools of the trade that are there and reliable when needed. It may seem like a small thing, but when you open 30, 40 or more bottles every day - you need something that you can count on - and hopefully is a little stylish, as well.