A corkscrew from a company called HiCoup is a terrific upgrade over anything I’ve experienced before.

Why? This makes pulling a cork easy. Who knew that one corkscrew could be easier to use than another?

In fact, there are a bunch of things ‘right’ about this device.

The heft is great. The ‘worm’ — as they call it in the biz — has a groove. I suspect that makes a big difference. Like other corkscrews I’ve used, the part that gives you leverage to pull has two pieces… but on this the top one slides in. Oh… does that make it smooth! (Note the arrow in the photograph.)

Other benefits…. You can choose the wood on the handle. When you buy it, the company sends you a couple of documents (pdfs) — about the device and about enjoying wine. This little extra makes it seem like their heart is in the right place.

Also, other corkscrews I’ve used sometimes squeak when going into the cork. Squeak. Squeaking is not sophisticated or professional or romantic or a desired addition to the enjoyment of wine. This doesn’t squeak.

You can check out the reviews on — you know, that website that sells everything — and I can assure you that the superlatives in those reviews are deserved. Whether you pay $13 or $30, this is a fine addition to your set of wine tools.

Why is it so expensive, even though it cost me only $14 plus some shipping? Because now I want to buy wine that doesn’t have screw tops. Purely for the enjoyment of using this corkscrew. This means that instead of drinking Milton Park shiraz that I got on sale for $9, now I want to drink Rubus shiraz… that’s on sale for $15. If it takes a few weeks for my corkscrew-using lust to taper off, I’ll have spent a lot more than the cost of the corkscrew… and I’ll have enjoyed every penny. Also: I want to give these to the entire GreatBigReds.com team!

HiCoup corkscrew tip: the first stab of the cork should be off-center. Imagine a line going down through the center of the worm. That line should be at the center of the cork.

GreatBigReds.com tip: you won’t know your own strength! Go extra easy pulling the cork out, or you might send wine flying in all directions. Gentle does it. (They say “don’t cry over spilled milk”. Yeah: milk! I don’t want to spill a single drop of Rubus shiraz!)