Even though wine producers are increasingly turning to screw tops instead of corks as closures for the bottles, corks are still the traditional closure — and will probably be around for some time to come. So if you're going to drink wine at home, you'll need a corkscrew. There are hundreds — maybe thousands — of corkscrews available. But they fall into some general categories.

From the low-tech end of the spectrum are the “pullers.” You probably have one in a drawer that some company gave you instead of a pen with the company logo on it. They take the form of a T-shape with a handle and a worm. There are no moving parts, which is why it depends on sheer force (yours) to get the cork out of the bottle.

The two-pronged puller requires less force but more finesse. It has no worm but two blades that you wedge into the bottle to grip the sides of the cork and pull. Professionals like it particularly for older corks that are in danger of crumbling. It's known as the “Ah-So,” and it takes some practice to use.

Lever-type corkscrews can take a variety of forms from something you can put in your pocket to something you can mount on the wall. The most ubiquitous lever type is the butterfly corkscrew. It has a worm and butterfly-winged handles for leverage.

The simplest lever corkscrew is the “waiter's friend” — so-called because it's the favorite among restaurant servers. It's got either a dual or single lever. Then there's the popular “rabbit” corkscrew with gripping handles on the sides and a top lever handle.

Before you can insert any corkscrew into the cork, you have to remove the capsule that surrounds the cork end of the bottle. Cut off the capsule with a small knife or with the foil cutter that comes with many corkscrews. To avoid wine dripping over the edge of the foil, be sure to cut it low enough on the neck of the bottle — under the second lip of the bottle.