Most pointless product ever? A bottle opener for screwcaps
From site reader Jim:
It’s opportunities like this that make me wish I did indeed have a blog, but I don’t, so I’m passing it to you. Go to butterflywineopener.com for the most asinine, pointless product ever: an opener for screwcap wines. If you look at the video, all you do is seal it over the screwcap…and then turn the top of the opener, just as you would the screwcap itself.
I discovered it in a full-page ad in Tasting Panel [home of the "exposure package"--ed.]…strangely, as you’ll see on the website, the only press they’ve received is in the Tasting Panel, who’ve mentioned it at least twice in different issues.
Dec
4
2009
One of the "seven best wine blogs." 
One of the three best wine blogs
On December 4th, 2009 at 10:56 am ,Michael Leonard wrote:
People who are old and weak might like it, like my moms friends. I could have used it after I had an accident where I bruised my arms so badly that I had no strength to open screwcaps. The turn wheel on the top does look like it provides much better leverage than the cap. Although the thing is over done. I’d just use pliers.
On December 4th, 2009 at 11:06 am ,Adrianne Hanusek wrote:
I think if people knew all you had to do was twist at the base of the entire screwcap, instead of at the top, this wouldn’t be necessary. I still think it’s a bit ridiculous, but for people like my mom who have bad arthritis in their hands it might be useful.
On December 4th, 2009 at 11:20 am ,Mark Ashley wrote:
Serious question: Does this device really help those with arthritis? I watched the video, and you still have to screw the top of the unit to open the bottle. The top of the unit doesn’t look much larger than the cap itself.
On December 4th, 2009 at 12:02 pm ,Jack O'C wrote:
I love the tagline “Keep the Romance Alive.” Oh I will, butterfly wine opener, I will.
Based on the way this thing is marketed on its own site, my guess is it doesn’t make opening any easier than the regular screwtop.
On December 4th, 2009 at 12:19 pm ,Boettcher wrote:
I hope they have an opener for boxed/bagged wine in development.
On December 4th, 2009 at 12:27 pm ,Jon Bjork wrote:
Would it really “keep the romance alive?” My guess is it would kill it immediately if the person un-capping the wine said, “Hey, mon cheri, look at this clever wine opener I bought.” Immediate reduction in estimated IQ.
On December 4th, 2009 at 12:30 pm ,Daniel Posner wrote:
Jack,
Hilarious!!!
On December 4th, 2009 at 12:41 pm ,L’invenzione che…mah, meglio lasciar perdere, va | Intravino wrote:
[...] Dr. Vino) Tag: apribottiglie, Big Picture, butterfly wine opener, tappo a vite, vie del vino So you [...]
On December 4th, 2009 at 1:47 pm ,Michael wrote:
http://img2.allposters.com/images/TEE_IMPC/MT11.jpg
On December 4th, 2009 at 2:11 pm ,Dr. Vino wrote:
Jack – nicely played.
And Boettcher too!
On December 4th, 2009 at 2:24 pm ,Tish wrote:
This invention is sure to bas as big a hit as http://winefritz.com/
On December 4th, 2009 at 11:45 pm ,EastCoast Chris wrote:
“the crack is the new pop…” that’s classic. It’s like reinventing the jump-to-conclusions-mat all over again.
On December 5th, 2009 at 2:26 am ,Felipe Méndez wrote:
As stupid as the butterfly:
http://www.vinochapeau.com/discs.html
On December 5th, 2009 at 9:37 am ,1winedude wrote:
Well, screwcaps can be a huge pain in the ass to remove, however if you grab the body of the bottle with one hand, and the **base** of the enclosure (NOT the screwcap itself) with the other, and twist, it comes off like magic…
On December 6th, 2009 at 12:16 am ,La linea dell'inutile (Mauro) wrote:
Let’s be honest:
there’s no better, useless Xmas gift in this price range.
On December 8th, 2009 at 2:41 pm ,Wine School wrote:
Here are some comments from our students:
Maurjourie Godfrey said:
“I cant understand why anyone would buy a opener for a screwcap.. You have to turn it anyways… ”
Kelli Hepler said:
“I think it was designed for those who are embarrassed to serve wine with a screwtop. (you know that old sterotype that wine with a screwcap is a cheap wine) This gizzmo makes it look like you have a cork . . . just an idea. Who needs it otherwise?”
John Mcdowell said:
“This is hysterically funny. That’s all.”
Maurjourie Godfrey said:
“There are some good wines out there that are screw top… dont see what the big deal is.. people need to get over it! Its not like we are drinking boones farm”
On January 15th, 2010 at 2:45 pm ,Brently wrote:
Maurjourie Godfrey said:
“There are some good wines out there that are screw top… dont see what the big deal is.. people need to get over it! Its not like we are drinking boones farm”
lol, boone’s farm
On February 18th, 2010 at 5:47 pm ,Issac Maez wrote:
Me and my husband used lots of different wine openers throughout the years. From classic corkscrew, which is really hard to use for petite people like me, to electric wine opener, which seems great at first, however it’s not as practical as it might seem. We decided that the best is Houdini Wine Opener. It has really easy learning curve and what’s most important it’s cheap and does what it has to do: removes corks.