In the beginning there was the cork…
Then, after many centuries, came the corkscrew (initially known as the bottlescrew). Now, I’ve drunk a lot of wine, attended countless tastings, and opened my fair share of bottles… yet somehow, I never knew the origin of this ingenious tool! But when it comes to opening wine, corkscrews have always been a necessity. There’s something undeniably romantic about the ritual: presenting the bottle, extracting the cork, discussing the vintage and history about to be experienced. No screw caps, and automatic or electric openers won’t do.
The corkscrew, an invention designed to remove corks swiftly, seamlessly, and cleanly, has an origin story shrouded in mystery and speculation. Perhaps that’s why it’s a tale few have heard before!
“Fairy tales are rife of heroes with bent bodkins, or of ardent Bacchantes at the echoing anvil, forging a glowing wire to mimic the curling tendril of the vine!” - From Corkscrews for Collectors by Bernard M Watney & Homer D Babbidge.
While exploring Los Olivos on a recent trip to Santa Barbara Wine Country, we stumbled upon an antique store, Pumacasu, full of vintage corkscrews and bottle openers. Carlos, infamous corkscrew collector, immediately greeted us and began to tell us fantastic tales of his collection. Each treasure, a piece of history. A work of art made for every day use. Carlos held up a corkscrew with bristles on the handle and began to brush a bottle of wine. “Do you know what this was used for?” he asked. We all lean in for the lesson.
“Someone shows you the wine bottle, pours you a taste. You put it in your mouth, you show that you’ve tasted it and you say ‘okay,’ and then he serves all your guests. You have no idea what you just did. Nobody ever explained to you what sommelier means. Who is he? Why did he just do that to your bottle with the towel and not wash it in the kitchen? Why did he have to smell the cork? Why did he pour me first? And why did he afterwards pour everybody else and then he started talking about the quality? Thats funny, I don’t know that history.”
And it’s true, we didn’t. We sit around a table, night after night, and engage in these traditions and rituals, not really sure why. Absolutely captivated.
“Well, that was created by the French in 1910 to sell expensive French wine. The original protocols call back to the 1800s. And then, if you’re a hoity-toity aristocrat, you will go to auctions in London and you will buy yourself, in particular, the first corkscrew ever patented. The first corkscrews, for the aristocrats, that triggers all these protocols. ”
Now the inventor remains unknown, historians speculate that the corkscrew was inspired by gun worms used by soldiers in the 1630s. These tools, designed to extract stuck bullets or unburnt powder from firearms, had a similar twisted metal helix that could easily have been adapted later on to remove corks. The first recorded patent however, was granted in 1795 to Reverend Samuel Henshall, an English clergyman.
“The protocols were not created for tasting wine. The protocols were created because your guests were scared of your water, because plague and typhoid fever is rampant, and they know that if you wash the bottle of wine, they aren’t drinking your wine. So you better bring the bottle dusty from the cellar. They also know that Alexander the Great was killed at a wine gathering. Intrigue! So they’re gonna come with the thought in mind, ‘I wonder what the bitch wants us at the party for.’ Well girls, keep your eyes on the Bottler… you know him today as Sommelier.”
These days, when I think of wine and drinking and corkscrews, I immediately think ofsommeliers. Whether it’s the polished expert at a fine dining restaurant or how I’d amusingly refer to myself while opening a beautiful bottle to enjoy on the couch. But the term sommelier has its own fascinating history.
“The French invented the word (sommelier) in 1910. He was originally called ‘Bottler’. The bottle - Bouteille in French. Eventually the Bottler does such a good job for you that you decide to call him Butler and make him in charge of all your servants. So the original sommelier is really the butler, originally the Bottler who brings you the bottle from the cellar.”
The word sommelier comes from the Old French term "soumelier," which originally referred to someone responsible for transporting supplies for a noble household or a traveling caravan.
Carlos continued his interpretation of how aristocratic dinners went back in the day.
“So Bottler, the girls are coming for dinner, so bring the bottle but don’t wash it. Bring it dusty. If you wash the bottle they won’t drink my wine!
Why milady?
Scared of plague, and typhoid fever is rampant. People are dying by the thousands. If you wash the bottle they’re gonna be afraid that the water touched the bottle and when you pour the wine it may contaminate the wine.
Okay, so what do I do?
You’ll bring a duster and you’ll present it. You’ll show the label. Two hundred years from now they’re gonna call you ‘sommelier’ and you’re going to present wine to everyone and they’re gonna think you’re showing the label - but no. You’re saying to look how dusty it is. Two hundred years from now you’ll rub the bottle down with a towel and clean it with a towel (or wine napkin) to show that no water touched it. You’re going to use the Thomason corkscrew and you’re going to brush it.”
The Thomason Corkscrew is a decorative and efficient design with a rack-and-pinion mechanism.
Carlos continued, “But milady, this looks like a shaving brush!”
Appearing in the late eighteenth century, these corkscrews with brushes were made with pig bristle and later replaced with artists’ paintbrushes and shaving brushes. They were used to dust off labels and tops of bottles in front of guests. But why dust off with a brush instead of a damp cloth?
“All the men in the 1600s shave with badger hair brushes because it rejects water. No water, no bacteria.
Okay I understand the brush. But now the ivory (handle)? You kill an elephant for this?
Yes, you fool. We, aristocrats, use utensils that are made of ivory because it has no pores. No pores, no bacteria. Ivory is antiseptic. And we die because we don’t have penicillin. So for us all of this is (a matter of) life and death.
Okay milady, I got the point of this. Now what about this?” he says pointing at the cage beneath the handle.
“Well they are all going to be looking at your hands when you open the bottle of wine. Alexander the Great syndrome. Alexander the Great died at a wine gathering and they still to this day don’t know who the hell killed him. And everyone knows he died two weeks after a wine gathering and eventually thought wine poisoning. So there’s intrigue. They’re gonna be looking at your hands. So tonight, you will open the wine with the Thomason corkscrew so you don’t touch anything.
The worm goes in and you slowly bring it (the cork) up, then you reverse it and the cork will drop on the table. Then hand it to me to smell it.
Why are you going to do this in front of your guests?
Because I’m going to put it up to my nose and give them the opportunity to smell it to see it was not opened the night before, you fool. To avoid intrigue. I’m going to say of very fruity, very romantic, very tasty. Then they will say ‘oh allow me! Delightful, very fruity, very tasty. Thank God, the bitch is not trying to kill us, because this cork has not been opened last night, and it’s freshly taken out. Smells strong. You will then pour me a little and I will have a taste of it and say ‘oh delightful’. Then they will know they do not have to worry about dying because I have just proved to them that the wine has not been poisoned.”
We looked at each other with amazement.
“So wait a minute you are telling me that these protocols that we use now for fear of disease and fear of intrigue are going to exist in countries like America, in places like California, in a little town called Los Olivos? And they don’t know what they’re doing and why they’re doing it? Well yes. These protocols were created in the 17 and 1800s by the aristocrats for fear of disease and fear of intrigue. And in the 1880s the water was good because we invented the sewer system (The modern sewer system emerged in the 19th century as cities grew and sanitation became increasingly necessary). So nobody had to worry so much about plague and typhoid fever. Intrigue receded because we aristocrats didn’t kill each other, so they weren’t dead. But the French in 1910 were worried about losing too m much French wine so they had a big meeting and said ‘hey why dont we bring the protocols of the 1700s and let’s invent a new word. You know the Bottler? That brings the bottle from the cellar? And the guy during the day we call him Sommer. Which means, in charge of the bête de somme, or beast of burden.”
The word itself is derived from "somme," meaning a pack or load, which was carried by a bête de somme, or pack animal. As wine became more integral to aristocratic dining culture, the role of the sommelier evolved. No longer merely a handler of goods, the sommelier became the guardian of the wine cellar, even selecting vintages and eventually serving them to guests.
“He’s in charge of the mules, puts the grapes on top of the mules, brings them to the castle and we ask him, ‘master of the grapes,’ make the wine and put it in the cellar. And at night, dress up, and you’ll be the Bottler. So he’s the Sommer, in charge of bête de somme, during the day, and the Bottler at night. So let’s create a new word (by combining the two) and we make him a wine expert. He comes and explains to the people the importance of wine, how it’s made, the roots and all this, and then we charge a lot of money for French wine. Fantastic!”
As wine culture flourished across Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, the demand for cork-removal devices grew. And if there’s one thing I know, nothing motivates innovation like the promise of opening a lovely bottle of wine. During this time, several versions of the corkscrew emerged, including:
The Thomason Corkscrew – a decorative and efficient design with a rack-and-pinion mechanism.
The Lever Corkscrew – which provided extra leverage for easier cork removal.
The Folding Corkscrew – a compact, pocket-sized version perfect for travelers.
And so, from corkscrews to sommeliers, history has gifted us not just the tools to enjoy wine, but the rich traditions that elevate the experience.
