The Best Wine Corker For Your Bottles
You have worked hard and finally made your own wine. You aged it in an old oak barrel and achieved the desired aromas and flavors, and now it is time to fill the bottles and display them on your carefully chosen wine rack.
It all sounds good, but this means that you’ll need the best wine corker to cap the bottles. Use the links below to see our wine corker selection or, if this is the first time you bottle wine, read on to find out which are the various steps of the process.
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Bottling is the last step of the winemaking process. However, although rewarding, bottling is not really a game. There are many aspects you should take into account. On one hand, you’ll have to choose the right corks and bottles. On the other hand, you will have to invest in an excellent wine corker.
If this is the first time you made wine at home, you might welcome a piece of advice. Let’s see how to cork wine like a pro and which are the different types of corkers you can use.
How To Bottle Wine With A Wine Corker
Bottling means transferring the wine from the barrel or demijohn to the bottles. Bottling is essential if you want to preserve the organoleptic properties of the beverage for a long time and, if you want, you can even use your homemade wine as a gift.
To bottle wine at home you will need an adequate number of bottles and corks, racking equipment and a corker.
How To Choose And Prepare The Bottles
The first step is to choose and prepare the bottles. Most wines can be bottled in standard Bordeaux bottles but they are not always the best choice. For example, if you made sparkling wine, it is more appropriate to use champagne or cuvè bottles.
Another thing to pay attention to is the color of the glass. White wines need transparent or green bottles yet the reds must be protected from light. For this reason, bottle red wine in dark green or brown bottles.
Once you decided which bottles to use, determine how many you need. To do this, determine the capacity of the barrel or demijohn in liters and divide it by 0,75. This result is the number of bottles you need. However, if the bottles have a capacity larger than 750 ml, then divide the capacity of the demijohn by the actual capacity of a bottle.
Now it is time to wash the bottles with water and baking soda, then let them dry upside down, preferably on a special bottle rack.
How To Choose The Corks
Although it seems simple, choosing the right corks is actually a hassle. Corks vary in shape, size but also in the material.
Depending on the shape, you can choose between straight and tapered corks. It is recommended to use straight corks as they will seal the wine better. Moreover, you should also decide whether you want to invest in natural or synthetic corks.
While synthetic is cheaper, quality wines preserve well only when capped with natural corks.
How To Choose The Right Wine Corker
Lastly, you should choose the right wine corker for the job. On the market, there are different types of corkers that are manual or electric.
All wine corkers work using the same principle. Namely, they are equipped with a compressing iris that compresses the cork from all sides and push it down the neck of the bottle. Regardless of the model, if the corker is well made, it will cork the bottle in no time and without hassle.
Then, which is the difference? Well, the speed of corking!
Manual corkers are divided into handheld and freestanding. The handheld models are the simplest and cheapest. Although they do the job just fine, they are sometimes difficult to use by those who suffer from various bone or articular diseases.
The freestanding corkers are usually placed on the floor or on a table. The main difference is that the freestanding corkers are able to cork the bottle in a single action, are easier to use, and the corking process is faster.
Freestanding corkers are ideal for those who cork numerous bottles at a time, for those who use synthetic corks or for those who have difficulties in using a handheld model.
Lastly, there are the electric corkers. The main advantage is the ease of use, but most winemakers still prefer to invest in a manual freestanding model.
Once you bottled the wine, don’t forget to label the bottles with some original wine bottle labels.
The Best Wine Corker Reviews
1. Ferrari Portuguese Double Lever Corker
A handheld corker is an excellent corking instrument if you’re making wine on a budget or if you have to cork less than 30 bottles. On the market, there are numerous models to choose from but one that stands out is this Ferrari Portuguese Double Lever Corker.
This handheld wine corker has twin handles which are designed to allow easy corking. Fairly easy to use, the instrument place the cork on the bottle almost effortlessly.
The corker is made of steel and plastic. The construction is sturdy and made to last. Moreover, this model features an adjustable plunger depth that will allow you to cork different types of bottles.
Compared to other handheld models, this wine corker is easy to use and it boasts an improved design compared to the models equipped with a plunger.Things We Liked
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2. Wine Bottle Floor Corker, Portuguese Red
If you have a larger wine production, it might be a better idea to invest in a floor corker. An excellent model is the Wine Bottle Floor Corker, Portuguese Red. This wine corker is made of rolled steel and it is coated with a hardened, baked-on enamel layer.
The instrument is ideal for those who make large quantities of wine. Its performances are excellent and, on the other hand, the corker works flawlessly with corks up to size 9.
Besides corking the bottles faster and easier compared to the handheld models, it also presents additional advantages. One of these advantages is the increased efficiency. This wine corker lowers the risk of damaging the cork and it provides a higher sealing quality.
On the other hand, the corker is able to seal as many as 150 bottles per hour, being ideal for both personal and semi-industrial use.
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3. Italian Floor Corker
This Italian floor corker is similar to the Portuguese wine corker mentioned above but the manufacturer brought some important improvements to the design.
From an aesthetic point of view, we like the Italian Floor Corker best. The instrument has a brass structure that lacks painting and enamel. This gives a vintage aspect to the corker, making it not only a functional object but also a decorative one.
From a functional standpoint, this corker is built to impress. Compared to the Portuguese model, the Italian wine corker boasts a longer leverage that enables winemakers to cork the bottles with even more ease.
Furthermore, the iris compression is also made of brass. This makes this component more resistant and the corking is more accurate.
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4. G. Francis Wine Bottle Floor Corker
If you like the idea of investing in a floor wine corker yet your budget is tight, then you might consider this wine bottle floor corker by G. Francis.
This corker is rather inexpensive yet it is made of high-quality materials. The instrument is made of rolled steel and hard plastic. The construction is sturdy and durable, and the corker has no flimsy joints or rivets, even when exerting pressure on the leverage.
Although small in size, the corker works with all standard bottles and with corks of different dimensions. Thanks to this characteristic, you will be able to cork bottles of wine, handmade beer, and other types of beverages.
Lastly, the corker is super lightweight and it can be placed anywhere on the floor or on a working table. The three sturdy legs feature mounting holes but the corker doesn’t come with installation hardware.
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5. Excelvin Wine Bottle Corker
The last wine corker that made it on our list is the Excelvin Wine Bottle Corker. The big brother of the Portuguese Red floor wine corker described above, this instrument is made to cork bottles of up to 1,5 liters capacity or 14,37 inches high.
The corker is sturdy and stable. Made of round steel and heavy-duty plastic, the instrument is equipped with two vertical steel risers and two horizontal bottle supports. Moreover, the iris is made of high-quality plastic and the whole wine corker has a height of 31 inches.
The bottle platform is adjustable and it fits bottles between 9,5 and 14,37 inches. The instrument also works with corks of different sizes, giving you the possibility to cork wine, beer, or other homemade beverages.
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Conclusion & Final Pick
Without a doubt, the best wine corker available on the market is the Italian Floor Corker. This instrument is sturdy, tall, easy to use, and made exclusively of brass and steel. Moreover, this wine corker also has a more than attractive design and it can complement well the décor of a winery or cellar.
Besides beautiful, this model of wine corker is functional. The instrument works well with bottles of almost any size and all types of corks. It has a high capacity and it is really easy to use, making it possible to cork a large number of bottles in a breeze.
The only real downside is the rather expensive price. However, considering that you will always have to pay for quality, in our opinion this wine corker really deserves a chance!