Anyone ever try the Corkfish?

WINE TALK
1

Reading the ah-so discussion sent me to Amazon and I saw this. Reviews are good, seems interesting. Fishes out a cork that you sent into the bottle.


https://www.amazon.com/WineUltra-com-COMINHKR003488-Corkfish-Wine-Retriever/dp/B000U85SH2/ref=wl_mb_wl_huc_mrai_2_dp

Retrieves corks that have fallen into wine bottles.
The tubular handle hides a synthetic mesh.
Stainless steel.
Dimensions: 11" x 3.5".

2

Don’t most just decant at that point?

3

Yes, but I’ve been in a situation where the cork kept getting in the way of pouring - certainly in that situation this seems handy.

4

Never used a corkfish, but I’ve used a cork retriever somewhat like this one:


https://www.amazon.com/Cork-Retriever-1030-by-Franmara/dp/B001PHEBMK/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1498768434&sr=1-3&keywords=cork+retriever

It worked pretty well.

5

I have one. It works well, but hardly ever actually use it.

6

very cool. I think I’ll get one as opening old Port bottles we sometimes push the cork into the bottle so we can try to get it out in one piece to read the branding on bottles with no label. This may make getting it out in one piece much easier than the old plastic bag trick.

7

Scott,

I don’t think I have or have seen this particular model, but in 1996 when I lived in Australia, these were quite popular and I brought a few home with me in 1997. Over the next decade, I eventually ended up giving them all away to folks who thought they were very cool not knowing that it would be so hard to find a replacement in the US.

They work very well especially when the cork breaks into multiple pieces. I am surprised that they are not more popular.

8

Also useful for removing a lime wedge from a bottle of Corona, should one desire to do so prior to recycling.

9

and this is why to avoid such gadgets.

Must haves

  • Glasses
  • corkscrew

Should haves

  • Decanter or suitable jug/carafe
  • ah-so (only if drinking plenty of older wines)

Could haves

  • drop stops (cheap and effective - unlike most wine gadgets)

Would haves

  • all manner of often useless gadgets targeted at people believed to have lots of disposable income (aka ‘low hanging fruit’)

This assuming the usual business approach that the budget runs out somewhere near the end of the should haves [wink.gif]

I did toy with Pungo etc. on the could haves, indeed some might put it in the should haves, that’s fine. Wine fridges also make a case, though some have a proper cellar, and wine is more hardy than we sometimes think. For many climates though, wine left in original cases/boxes and in a sensible place will be fine, so the need for these varies by person.

However it is a remarkably small list of wine gadgets that we actually need.

Anyone making a case for anything *else that is a must have or should have wine gadget?

regards
Ian

  • [smack.gif] to anyone who suggests bottles of wine!
10

I agree with your list, butI don’t mind having a few useless gadgets. [tease.gif]

11

I am not sure about the name in English (edit: just googled it: mine is called a wine cooler sleeve), but i would add ‘ice-jackets’ in between the should haves and could haves. By ‘Ice-jacket’ I mean an elastic ‘jacket’ I keep in the freezer at all times, that chills bottles of wine from room temperature to serving temperature in a few minutes. It doesn’t take up much space in the freezer and I often find it comes in handy.

12

A good suggestion Hans - more than just the occasional use, and relatively cheap. Plus our three must have lasted 15 years, so they’re durable as well. I definitely agree.

p.s. Scott: I’m not saying we have no additional gadgets either - I suspect we’re all partial to cool, but mostly useless gadgets!

13

+1

Good to have for a last minute white pull. Sometimes there’s a last minute request or a last minute invite and you don’t have time to chill.

Insulated bottle carriers are good to have, especially if there’s going to be some time between packing your wines and opening them. You don’t want your reds warming up, either, and a wine chill jacketed wine can still stuff in one of those slots.

Re: the cork fisher. I mostly don’t use it because I don’t bring it very often, and most of the time I’m around older wines isn’t at home. Have been bringing it more often, and it is common for people to lose part of a cork into a wine.

14

Ordered the Corkfish. Should be here later today. Will advise on how it works when I try it, most likely later next week.