A bold chance to rethink the wine opener design that has been static for decades. Sometimes the best innovations come from questioning the established.
Craighill Wine Key
Brand
Craighill
Designer
Hunter Craighill & André Hueston Mack
Country
United States
Year
2021
Hunter Craighill and sommelier André Hueston Mack took a pass at advancing a very established product. The sommelier's wine key shape has been fixed for decades - everyone thought there wasn't more you could push, despite known problems. That's exactly what made it interesting. André brought real-world experience from behind the bar, Hunter brought design thinking. The result feels inevitable once you hold it - perfect weight, precisely angled foil knife, ratcheted mechanism that makes cork removal effortless. They proved that even the most established tools can be reimagined.
Sommelier Collaboration
Hunter Craighill partnered with sommelier André Hueston Mack (from Bon Appetit and Per Se) to identify real-world pain points. True co-creation - designer thinking meets professional experience.
Advancing the Established
The sommelier's wine key shape has been fixed for decades. Everyone thought there wasn't more you could push, despite known problems. That's what made this challenge so compelling.
Ratcheted Innovation
The ratcheted swing-arm mechanism transforms cork extraction from tedious chore to smooth ritual. Sometimes the best innovations are the ones that feel obvious in hindsight.
Professional Authority
Substantial weight and precise angles give it presence in your hand. This isn't just a tool - it's a statement about taking wine service seriously, whether professional or personal.