What Is A Cork Retriever?

Few things ruin the elegance and allure of opening up a nice bottle of wine like fishing rogue bits of cork out of your bottle or glass.

Unfortunately, it’s all part of the game. Dried-out or compromised cork does appear from time to time. It’s a hazard that comes with the territory of being a wine lover.

Luckily, there are tools to help retrieve your cork (while maintaining your dignity). We spoke to experts about this useful gadget that comes in handy more often than you’d expect.

Put simply: “A cork retriever is a rescue mission when things go wrong,” says Conrad Gass, director of food and beverage at Shoreside in the Shore Hotel, Santa Monica.

Wine Enthusiast

What Is a Cork Retriever?

A cork retriever is a device with long, stainless-steel arms and a handle at the top. The arms are inserted into the neck of the bottle, so you can retrieve a compromised cork that has dropped into a bottle without straining out the liquid.

“A cork retriever is exactly as it sounds: a tool to retrieve a cork that has either broken or has been pushed into a bottle based on different variables that have compromised integrity of the cork,” says Cameron Tyler, a French wine scholar and Court of Masters (CMS) advanced sommelier at award-winning Montana ranch The Resort at Paws Up and The Green O.

Steven McDonald, the executive wine director and Master Sommelier at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, keeps a cork retriever (Franmara cork retriever) on every station on the floor. “It’s in case we find ourselves in trouble on the floor and lose a cork,” he says. “It doesn’t happen often, but it’s the best thing we’ve used so far.”

Gass seconds the Franmara. “It’s a simple but sturdy design, and the hooks at the base of the prongs makes removal much easier.”

The Durand® Wine Opener — Wine Enthusiast

Why Do Corks Break?

Cork breakage or loss of integrity can be caused by a number of factors, including age, travel, faulty corks and poor storage.

“There are many impacts that can occur to corks from checked bags to shipping methods,” says Tyler. “Most commonly would be vintage port or Madeira where the wines are intended for extended aging and the corks are smaller and more fragile.”

There are many ways a cork can end up in a bottle. A cork can snap in half or crumble, making it difficult to remove.

“The top may appear sound but saturated below and break or get stuck in the bottle,” says Tyler. “The cork could also have dried and formed a suction, which draws a cork into the bottle the moment you go to retrieve it. In either scenario a cork retriever is a great tool.”

He recently opened a bottle of 1968 D’Oliveiras Bual with a cork that was way too firm. His solution? A cork retriever. “It made more sense to depress the cork into the bottle and retrieve it with a cork retriever.”

How to Use a Cork Retriever

There are many options available on the market, but any “traditional three-prong retriever works just fine,” says Tyler. “One that keeps its shape and integrity so it can be used many times. I have been using it for over a decade.”

Alternatively, one could use an Ah So (also known as a twin-blade corkscrew): a shorter version of the cork retriever with two prongs. You insert a prong on either side of the cork and slowly twist to remove it.

Both these tools have the intention of removing compromised corks from a bottle. However, they each match specific situations.

“A retriever is used for when a cork has dropped into the shoulder of a bottle or even below,” says Tyler. “An Ah So (or twin-blade corkscrew) is used when a cork is clearly compromised and a traditional retrieval method will likely damage it.”

Alternatively, you can use a hybrid tool like a Durand wine opener, which has the side prongs of an Ah So and the worm of a corkscrew.

“When I open an old bottle, I want the peace of mind of keeping the cork intact,” says Alberto Ghezzi, the sommelier of Lucciola on the Upper West Side of New York. “So, I screw the corkscrew into the center of the cork, just like a regular bottle. Then, gently twist and put the Ah So in place—these two blades will hold the cork on the edges. Finally, twist and pull the cork out. Your bottle is safe and you don’t need a strainer!”