How Many Devices Does it Take to Open a Bottle of Wine?

There was a period in the early oughts when a faction of otherwise reasonable wine drinkers considered the waiter’s wine key a hard to use tool. Every time they’d wind the cork in, the mechanism would stick, the ledge wouldn’t reach, whatever. Enter the runaway popularity of those crazy elephant devices. They may be a breeze to use, but they take up vast amounts of cupboard space. Where on earth can you store the things?

Like every waiter on the planet, I'm a fan of the simple corkscrew. Surely some brands  function better than others, but this one costs less than $10 and works extremely well.  It reminds me of a parrot, but if you're looking for something flashier, consider this gold one. 

On the other hand, if you're in the market for an ostentatious gift for a wine freak, you might want to consider this preposterously expensive stainless steel version.  I haven't tried it myself - and I'd think you were insane if you gave me one - but apparently the manufacturers have enlisted the help of several dozen engineers to turn the opening of a bottle into a single elegant gesture.