Why and how to use the Durand® dual-blade corkscrew?

Durand® dual-blade corkscrew designed to open old wines.

Why use the Durand® dual-blade corkscrew to open an old wine?

Be careful when opening an old wine! The cork is often damaged by time. It can be brittle, powdery or stuck. Sometimes, it disintegrates completely, falling to the bottom of the bottle.

A cork that is more than 30 years old has often started to disintegrate and often the lower part detaches from the rest. With a classic corkscrew, 9 times out of 10, you will not catch this lower part. In addition, pieces of cork can fall into the wine.

Another difficulty encountered is when the surface of the cork remains stuck to the glass and the center of the cork has dried out. A conventional corkscrew will tend to pierce the center of the cork, leaving the outside clinging to the neck of the bottle. At this point, fine dried cork powders fall into the wine and it is impossible to remove them. You must then remove the pieces that have fallen into the bottle using a utensil or filter it, but this risks weakening the wine. Remember that the less you handle an old wine, the better.

For opening an old vintage, 10 years and older, we highly recommend using the Durand® corkscrew. It is designed for old wines by wine collector Mark Taylor based in Atlanta, USA.

For the record, the Durand® is named after Yves Durand. It’s a world-renowned sommelier, a personal friend of the collector and a mentor.

How to use the Durand® Bi Blade?

The Durand® dual-blade corkscrew is a patented corkscrew made up of two elements which allow perfect extraction of old and fragile corks while keeping them whole and intact.

We recommend following the 4 steps below to optimally use the Durand (schema below) :

1. Screw the first part into the center of the cap until the stabilizer bar rests against the top of the cap or bottle. See picture 1.
2. The second part, two blades like a clamp, is inserted perpendicular to the stabilizer bar between the cork and the bottle. The longest blade is inserted first, then the shortest. Its purpose is to separate the cork from the glass, while the screw holds the cork. See picture 2.
3. Gently press down on each blade alternately using the handle to move the blades down the walls of the cork. Continue this rocking motion until the bottom of the handle rests against the top of the stabilizer. Once in, they form a cross and lock together. See picture 3.
4. Hold the bottle firmly. With the other hand, pull gently and carefully while turning the entire device counterclockwise until the cork comes out in one piece. See picture 4.

>> Watch video « How to use the Durant bi-blade ? »

An older, more fragile cork will need a little extra care. Place your fingers on the cork near the neck of the bottle to “accompany” the cork upwards so that you can remove it completely.

Our precautions

The Durand® dual-blade corkscrew is designed to remove only old and fragile corks from standard-sized bottles. The inside of the neck should measure approximately 2cm in diameter.

We recommend not using it on corks with a diameter of less than 2cm, nor on synthetic corks.

Although the Durand has proven effective in removing old and fragile corks, we do not guarantee the effectiveness of opening corks from recent bottles.