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RacerX, ours is like the one you pictured. One thing that has always bugged me about it though, is that it seems the part that goes over the top of the bottle, never really "covers" the bottle top. It's always sort of sitting on the bottle rather than overlapping. It always makes for a bit of a balancing act when screwing it down. Does yours go over the bottle top securely or just sort of sit on top of it?
I hope I'm explaining this right.
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Mine goes over. It is some pot metal probably, and has a nylon ring around the opening, probably for cushioning.
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I have a drawer full of openers.
Like the one racer pictured (I'll abandon those at motels rather than pack in suitcase)
A rabbit.
A co2 exploder.
A pocket puller like waiters often use.
Every now and then I find a "bad" cork.
Even with bottles stored on their sides.
Cheesecloth comes in handy. (or a coffee filter). :-)
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Thanks all, I've recovered now. Nothing like a big meal w/a really Excellent spaghetti sauce, the goal of my labors. But that was a ridiculous pre-cooking workout. I had wondered if the cold bottle had something to do w/it -only because I don't usually have chilled bottles before opening, so was looking for the Mr. Science-type analysis to confirm I hadn't suddenly become a 98-lb weakling... I had noticed the neck of the bottle warming up to the touch while I was whaling away at it, but I suppose not enough for the necessary expansion that vicrock's waiter tip could provide:
[quote vicrock]Secret for a recalcitrant cork is to run the outside of the neck of the bottle under very hot tap water - also use a good waiter's lever corkscrew, or a "rabbit" type.
I'll remember that one, next time I find myself wrestling w/a vino on the kitchen floor.
And maybe that Genesis corkscrew is in my future, too. I like the feel/sound of yanking the cork out, unaided. ("thunk!" - ahhh)
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To the dread of the French some fine wines in Napa are being bottled with screw caps. Our wine is better too.
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Even the French are going to screw caps as all may be eventually. The issue is too many vinyards and not enough cork and plastic corks, of course, are plastic. Getting past the stigma of screw tops is the problem. They seal better with no need to store bottles on their sides and no problems trying to open them. They're less expensive and no corking flavors. I believe Rothschild has already started selling some bottles with screw caps.
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Screw tops don't use lead foil.
BGnR
