The Durand Wine Opener

The The Durand Wine Opener has become one of the most respected tools in the world of fine and mature wines. Created by wine collector and author Mark Taylor, the tool was developed to solve a common frustration among collectors: opening old bottles without destroying delicate corks.

By combining the mechanics of a traditional corkscrew with the gentle support of an Ah-So style opener, The Durand securely stabilizes fragile corks before extraction. This dual-action approach dramatically reduces the risk of crumbling, broken corks—especially in older vintages where the cork structure has weakened over decades of aging.

Today, The Durand is widely used by sommeliers, auction houses, fine dining restaurants, and private collectors handling prestigious bottles from regions such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, and vintage ports from Douro Valley.

For anyone who regularly opens collectible wines, The Durand is often considered less of an accessory and more of an essential preservation tool for protecting both the wine experience and the bottle’s history.