Free Shipping

TwistedCorkscrew is offering FREE SHIPPING on orders over $75.00 through the end of the year to continental US. This is the perfect time to buy while stock is available. Free Shipping can not be combined with other discount codes.  Only one discount is allowed per order. The free shipping discount is automatically applied, typing another coupon code will delete the free shipping discount and apply the discount for the new code.  To reinstate the shipping discount delete the item from the shipping cart then reorder the item by clicking the Add to Cart button.

Big Sales at TwistedCorkscrew

Now is the time to buy while we have plenty of stock.  We have a special sale on Laguiole Corkscrews offering 25% of on all Laguiole corkscrews over $150.00.  Plus we have close out sales on selected Wine holders (50% off) and hand painted Martini Glasses (40% off) while supplies last. These discount will be given during the checkout process.  Look for the yellow sale marker for all special sale items.  Click the link on the home page Sale Banner to be redirected to the sale items.  If you're looking for a unique but inexpensive gift check out the felt wine bottle holders and wine racks, these are also included in the 50% off discount at checkout.  These are great specials but only while supplies last.  Start your shopping now and beat the Black Friday crowd.

Thanks for shopping at TwistedCorkscrew

French and Italian Corkscrews

A good corkscrew like Laguiole is reliable but it's more than that.  Laguiole corkscrews are sleek and stylish and are admired by others.  It's true that the wine is the star but a stylish reliable waiters  corkscrew can introduce the wine properly.  Laguiole has long been known for it's quality made waiters corkscrews which are almost a work of art.  

We at TwistedCorkscrew are happy to re-introduce Laguiole en Aubrac Waiters Corkscrews.  This is a line that we previously carried but Laguiole has added new styles which are artfully designed and available on our site.    

In addtion to the Laguiole en Aubrac corkscrews we also carry another of their new lines called Laguiole Millésime Corkscrew.  The photo shown has a red marble handle.

Italians have always been known for wine and their old world artisan workmanship so as not to be outdone by the French, the Italians have come out with their own line of corkscrews called Castello Waiters Corkscrews and have even packaged them in gift sets for those interested.  

So if you're looking for a high quality corkscrew you won't go wrong with either but be sure to browse through our extensive selection of corkscrews at TwistedCorkscrew

Glazze Crystal Wine, Whiskey and Liqueur Glassware

Here at TwistedCorkscrew we are always looking for new products.  Well we recently added Glazze Crystal Glassware to our website and we are extremely excited about this new line of glassware.  Glazze Crystal is manufacturer of luxury stemware and glass decorative home accessories.

Glazze Crystal glassware are elegantly designed by old world craftsman.  This glassware is handcrafted to perfection.  All Glazze Crystal stemware is elegantly trimmed in gold or platinum making every dinner party truly special.

We carry 15 different Glazze Crystal designs.  Surely there is 1 or more of these designs that will fit your style and impress your friends.  This glassware makes an impressive gift for a wedding or special celebration.   

If you are looking for elegant wine, whiskey or liqueur glassware including pitchers and decanters look no further, Glazze Crystal is the perfect choice for anyone.

Check out all our products and email us if you have any questions or suggestions.

New Product line

   Welcome back to TwistedCorkscrew blog, well this spring we have added some new products to our wine accessory line.  We have found some quality products from Host that have an excellent fit on our website and they are reasonably priced.  The 1st product is the HOST CHILL Cooling Pour Spout, this is very similar to the product corkcicle in it's function of keeping your open wine chilled but with the Host product it also has a pouring spout so you don't need to remove the cooling stick from the wine
bottle.

   Another product from Host is the Deluxe Aerator and pourer.  This Aerator and Pourer has variable aeration, Host will perfectly aerate any wine from your lightest Pinot Noir to your most robust Bordeaux, all at the tilt of your bottle.

   Check out all our new products and make sure you use the discount code"spring2013"  for an additional 5% off all products through June 30, 2013.

Holiday Discounts

Black Friday, Small Business weekend, Cyber Monday what's the big deal.  These are just more sales promotions.  In reality it comes down to getting the best price on a quality item from a reliable supplier. Our prices at TwistedCorkscrew are rival the best plus when we send out a discount coupon it's for 30 days or longer not a 1 day sale or a weekend blowout sale.  We have great wine accessories and an excellent shipping record, so check us out.  One
more thing we have a discount for you and it's good thru 31 Jan 2013, now that's what I call a sale.  Just type this code (holiday2012) in the coupon box
during the checkout process or in the floating shopping cart.  This discount applies to sale items as well, which isn't offered by many stores.  Free shipping is offered on all purchases over $150 but it can not be combined with other discounts.  One discount per order. Have a great Holiday and thank you for visiting us at  TwistedCorkscrew. We hope you enjoy shopping with us, please let us know how we can serve you better.

What does it mean when you’re told to let your wine “Open Up”.

Well of course, if you don’t open the bottle you can’t drink it, right, yes that’s accurate but that’s not what they are referring to.  “Open Up” for wine is kind of like letting your steak rest after you take it off the BBQ pit, covering and resting a steak helps it soak up the juices so it will taste better. 

Open a bottle of Cabernet and pour a little in a glass then taste it, notice the flavors tart, smooth, smoky, etc.  Set the bottle aside and busy yourself with something else, go back in 10 or 15 minutes and pour another small amount in a glass, when tasting it take notice in the difference from the previous tasting, it has likely improved. 

All wines will benefit from this process, bolder wines more than light bodied.  What you are really doing is letting the wine breath much like the steak breaking in the juices but the wine is breathing in the air.

Can this process be sped up?  Yes, using a decanter or and aerator will add air into the wine and assist it “Opening Up”. 

Enjoy your wine at it’s best potential by letting it “Open Up” naturally or by using a decanter or wine aerator.  You won’t regret it.

Visit TwistedCorkscrew for your wine accessories

How Missouri Saved French Wines

German and Italian immigrants played important roles in Missouri’s first wineries when they moved to the rolling hills of Missouri searching for fertile ground to cultivate vineyards.  By the mid 1800’s Missouri had established wineries that were known and respected worldwide.

In the late 1850’s a blight struck the French Wine District of Rhone Valley caused by an American born louse that destroyed much of the Vitis vinifera grape crop in France.  This was a devastating loss to the economy of France.  Fortunately, Missouri's first entomologist (bug scientist) Charles V. Riley made an important discovery. In 1871, at the invitation of the French government, Riley inspected France's ailing grape crop. He diagnosed the problem as an infestation of phylloxera, an American plant louse. He found that some Native American rootstocks were immune to the advances of the dreaded louse. By grafting French vines onto them, healthy grapes could be produced. Millions of cuttings of Missouri rootstock were shipped to save the French wine industry from disaster. The city of Montpellier, France erected a statue in Riley's honor, because of the significance of his work and to commemorate this rescue. 

Information sources for the article were Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_wine) and Missouri Wine Country (http://www.missouriwinecountry.com/articles/history/)

We hoped you found this article interesting and informative.  Visit Twisted Corkscrew for top of the line wine accessories. 

Credit Card Disputes

Many online retail stores are a family of store that fall under the umbrella of a corporation.  These corporations usually own more than one internet website.  These corporations would be considered the parent companies and when you make a purchase your credit card statement will most likely reference the name of the parent company instead of the website where the purchase was made. 

Most merchants will send out an email thanking you for the purchase and advising you how your credit card will be charged.  This is where you will see the parent company name mentioned so please read the email sent to you after you make an online purchase.  It's is important that you read the emails because it will provide information that is important and may help you avoid embarrassing issues with your order. We have recently had some issues with credit card disputes because the buyer was unaware that Perpetual Mercantile LLC is the parent company of Twisted Corkscrew.


 If you dispute credit card charges because you don't recognize a merchant those funds are removed from the vendors account until there is a resolution.  It can take weeks for a dispute to be resolved and if the resolution goes against the merchant they will lose the money plus a penalty fee will be applied to their account, which is justified if the merchant is at fault.  But if the buyer is at fault because they couldn't remember the purchase then you could be blocked from future purchases on the website and possibly be turned over to a collection agency.  Generally, this is an innocent mistake that can be avoided just by going online to verify the merchant corporate name.  Any additional expense to the legitimate merchants will push the product prices a little higher, which doesn't benefit anyone.  So do your best to make sure the charge is incorrect before you dispute it.

If your unfamiliar with the website visit their “about us” page, this will give you more information about the site.  You will likely find out how long they have been in business, parent company name, address, email address, return policy and a contact telephone number.  If the website does not have a contact telephone number listed I do not buy from them……why, because they don’t want to talk to anyone.  That is not good customer service policy in my book.  Type the name of the website in the search box on Google and see what you can find.  If you find links to Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and coupon code sties, this is most likely a legitimate website.

I hope this information has been helpful and next time you're shopping for wine accessories please visit Twisted Corkscrew.

Chocolate Wine Trail - Hermann Missouri

Today we have had great weather in the ST. Louis Metro area but that's not the norm so I'm sure we will be back to those cold and windy days.  No need to let the weather get you down or slow you down.  The Chocolate Wine Trail is getting closer.  This event is just 1 weekend February 18-19 so sign up for tickets at The Hermann Wine Trail and be prepared for a great time.  They are 7 wineries in Hermann that you can taste a variety of wines and chocolate desserts, how can that be anything but a great time.  Tickets are $30 per person with a limited number available.  So if you happen to have out of town visitors that weekend this would be an excellent way to show them some of Missouri's beautiful rolling hills and have a really fun time in Hermann on the Chocolate Wine Trail.  Next time you're shopping for wine accessories please visit Twisted Corkscrew and browse our many pages of accessories.

Valentines Surprise

It’s never too early to think about a gift for a special day.   Sure you could wait for hints from your sweetheart for this valentines but how is that a surprise.  Be creative show them you care and let them know how special they are by creating special dinner on that special day.  It will take more effort than normal but it will be appreciated and remembered.  Take the time to find the perfect dish and perfect wine that will show your true feelings.  You might find out how much fun it is to make surprise dinner preparations that it could become a routine event.   If you need elegant glassware for that special dinner be sure to consider Ravenscroft Wine Glasses and Decanters, which are hand made lead free crystal wine glasses are of the highest quality and have an elegant feel.  Once you taste wine from Ravenscroft wine glass you will understand the importance of owning quality glassware.

Holiday Season Deals

The holiday season is upon us and there's plenty of time to get gifts.......or is there?   We are fully stocked right now as are most stores but it won't be long before some of the most popular items start to run short.  As it gets closer to Christmas it will be harder for stores to get items restocked so if you see something that you really want now is the time to buy.

We just received a new supply of High Heel Wine Bottle Holders, we now have a dozen different styles and they are priced to sell quickly.  Also our decorative Metal Wine Bottle Holders is another hot item that has been selling well but we are already short on a couple of styles so don't wait too long too decide.

Stop by and visit TwistedCorkscrew.com and checkout some of the great bargains and unique items we carry.

Basic Food and Wine Pairing

There are many articles about pairing wine with meals.  The basic answer is white wine with fish or chicken, red wine with steak or pasta but there’s more involved.  Someone ask which white wine goes better with fish well it depends on what type of fish you are having and the flavor style (mild or spicy) as well as your taste preferences.

Many wines are vinited in a range of styles from light to full texture, depending on the producer so a heavy oaked Chardonnay may go well with a cream based pasta but an un-oaked Chardonnay might pair well with a mild fish or poultry.  Since there are many wines and so many cross over the lines for basic food pairing due the unique vintages and blending it is nearly impossible to come up with a complete list that is simple and straight forward. 

There are some people that only drink red wine and others that only drink white and still others that drink both but a limited selection.  No matter what your preference is there is either a red or white wine that you will find compatible with your main course whatever that may be.  So don’t stress, work within the boundaries of your taste preferences and gradually experiment to expand your taste palate.

Think of it this way, the food and wine you’re having needs to compliment each other or balanced by their flavor, texture and acidity.  

Spicy foods pair best with a sweet or flavorful wine. 

Beef dishes pair well with a bold full-bodied wine. (Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel)

Pasta with tomato sauce (Acidic) goes well with a wine with higher acidity like Chianti or Sauvignon Blanc if you prefer white wine. 

Pasta with a creamy white sauce works very well with a Chardonnay.  Cream based pasta contains milk so acidic wine would not be a good match.

If you’re having a fish dinner with a lemon sauce I would suggest something like Sauvignon Blanc but with a mild fish dinner Riesling would be a better choice.  There are many varieties of fish, some are mild and flaky and others are more like a steak (swordfish).   When I have swordfish I like a medium body wine like Pinot Noir, it seems just bold enough for that texture and taste.   Pairing wines with meals should not be stressful, relax and enjoy the process, try experimenting you might discover a great combination.

Here’s a no stress basic wine-pairing list.  This is by no means a comprehensive list and there are some that may dispute some of my selections but that’s ok.

Steak, Beef Dishes                            Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, 

& Barbeque                                       Zinfandel, Malbec,  

                                                       Norton (Missouri), Bold Reds

  

Poultry                                               Riesling, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir,  Chianti, Merlot, Rioja, Burgundy, Medium Bodied

Pork                                  Pinot Noir, Chianti, Merlot, Rioja, Riesling

Fish                                        Semillon, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir (swordfish)

Shellfish                                    Chablis, Riesling, Burgundy, Chardonnay

Tomato based Pasta (red)               Chianti, Sangiovese, Italian wines, Merlot, Zinfandel (red)

Creamy Pasta                               Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Merlot

Spicy foods                 Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Rose’          

Matching food and wines from the same country work well because they are produced to enhance the local fare.

Let your server, or the menu guide you to a wine selection.  The restaurant wants you to come back so they don’t want to steer you wrong with a bad wine pairing.

Sometimes the season can lead you to a wine selection.  Personally, I drink more white wine in the summer that red because it’s just more refreshing in the Missouri heat.  I love Cabernet Sauvignon but sometimes it’s just too heavy on a hot summer day.

Visit Twisted Corkscrew and browse our fine selection for Ravenscroft Wine Glasses, which are designed to enhance your wine experience.