There are many different ways to open a wine bottle.

While ever more wineries are opting for screw caps on their best vintages, most experts agree that in the foreseeable future, corkscrews — or their cousins described below — will remain the utensils of choice for opening most wine bottles.

The most common style is a wing-type corkscrew. It features a couple of handles that open when a center screw is twisted into a waiting cork. Once the arms or wings have reached their highest point, they are pushed downward and the cork is extracted. A wing-type corkscrew is easy to use — and if the center screw starts with a tight, sharp, twisted loop, it can be very effective. If, however, the screw is a straight, rather thick rod with ridges and a blunt point, the rod will, at best, mangle a cork and drop flakes into the wine below. At worst, it will damage the cork so badly, it will be impossible to extract.

The most versatile is a waiter’s corkscrew. It looks and functions much like a common jack knife with three separate tools. A small knife-like blade is used to cut the foil cap to expose the top of the cork. A screw arm folds out from the flat metal sleeve. At the apex of the sleeve is a small lever-like contraption that will sit on a bottle’s rim. The screw is twisted in by hand, the lever placed on the bottle rim and, just like high school physics class, a fulcrum motion pulls out the cork. Professional waiters may make using it look very simple, but extracting a cork with the waiter’s tool does also take a little practice.

One of the easiest to use is a screwpull. The screw simply sits between a couple of flexible prongs. which look like an old-fashioned clothespin. The prongs are placed over a bottle. A handle on top of the prongs is turned so the screw enters the cork until the stopper on the sides hits the bottle rim and the prongs begin to extract the cork quite easily. Using a screwpull is almost fool-proof but does not allow a very flashy tableside presentation.

Then there is the popular “Rabbit” version which simply uses a lever action and squeezable handle to insert the screw into the cork and easily extract it. It is somewhat more expensive than most of the others cited above, but it is a good investment if you open bottles on a regular basis.

A popular eighties extractor is not a corkscrew at all. It is commonly called an “ah-so” cork puller. It gets its name because, when used appropriately, it will extract a cork “ahh so” easily and undamaged. However, if used without at least a little practice, it will push the cork into the bottle and make the wine “ahh-so” difficult to open. This tool has flat metal prongs, one slightly longer than the other. The longer prong is inserted between the side of the cork and the inside edge of the bottle; the second prong is then inserted and the handle is rocked and pushed until the prongs are fully extended to the bottle’s rim. A counter rocking/twisting/pulling motion slides the cork out with ease by a practiced wait staff. It is a great tool, but requires some experience before being used in front of a crowd of onlookers.

And then there is the quite costly Coravin system. A long needle is inserted into the cork, the wine flows into the glass and then subsequently, inert gas — usually argon — is injected into the bottle to prevent oxidation and spoilage of the remaining wine. Prices for this system start about $150 with additional argon cylinders needed down the road.

BUT….to keep in your glove compartment or purse: the 99-cent disposables, often logoed with your favorite winery’s moniker, are handy to use in a real bottle opening emergency.

There are lots of choices, and something for nearly every budget.

For additional information on all things wine, email dwinchell@OhioWines.org