The inventions of the cork and corkscrew were essential to the growth of the wine industry. Without a way to seal wine and then later remove that seal, the discovery that wine improves with age may never have occurred.

In the time of the Greeks and Romans wine was kept in clay amphora jars and sealed with cork when available. This cork seal was not very tight and wine was not able to be kept for long periods of time. Most often these jars were sealed with wax or resin. In order to open them the top had to be scrapped off, which made resealing them very difficult. Still, this was practical for the time period and did not hamper the trade of wine between various regions of Europe.

It wasn't until the 17th and 18th centuries that the concept of the cork and corkscrew was developed. Wine makers began to look for a way to seal their ware that was both durable and easy to make. The light and clean properties of the bark on the cork oak made it very appealing to wine makers. It was also available in mass quantities and fairly easy to manufacture. Cork does not go brittle or rotten for a very long time after it is in a bottle and can even stay functional for almost half a century. In modern times, the best corks are kept for the best wines. Cork is still unrivalled as the best method to seal wine for storage.

The invention of the corkscrew almost coincided with that of the cork. Once consumers had a method to remove a cork from their wine bottles, instead of using it as a stopper, wine makers could drive the cork into the bottle.

As early as the 17th century we have records of drinkers using "steel worms" and "bottlescrews" to remove the cork from their wine bottles. The word "corkscrew" was frequently used by the 1720s. The corkscrews of these times are very similar to our own. Various types of corkscrews exist today. This wide range of choices lets the individual wine lover choose the one that is best suited to them.