You can read timely Consumer Reports articles in the new Lifestyles section...
By JULIE ROBINSON ROBARDS
Collection Reflections
When I first met my husband, Terry, his knowledge of wine wasn't the only thing that impressed me.
As a lover of antiques and collectibles, I was mesmerized by the vast collection of wine-related artifacts he had accumulated over the years.
As a world-renowned wine critic for The New York Times, a columnist for Wine Spectator and editor of Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Terry has visited wineries around the globe. His collection reflects his travels and includes unusual and unique items, many of which are cherished gifts from grateful wine makers who owe their fame to his reviews.
In recent years, eBay auctions have been the source for many corkscrews featuring advertising that Terry has added to his collection. Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, airport security now restricts the carrying on of corkscrews. These are confiscated and eventually make their way to public liquidation sales. Dealers who frequent such sales buy the corkscrews for pennies and then offer them on eBay in large box lots of 40 or 80 or more at a time.
"It is amazing the number of logos from wineries, hotels, restaurants, clubs and businesses that can be found on corkscrews," Terry told me. "There are hundreds of thousands of them."
They range from souvenirs of places like Paris and Hawaii to those of small towns in the Midwest. Some people even use them as wedding favors.
One of Terry's most interesting finds was a corkscrew that advertised Sonoma Loeb Wines — a chardonnay that Terry himself developed for the winery owner in the mid 1990s.
Terry pays anywhere from $35 to $45 per box of corkscrews. When they arrive, he sorts and cleans them, looking for the best of the best. On more than one occasion, he has found French Laguiole corkscrews that are valued at more than the price he paid for the entire lot. On rare occasions, he has found gold-plated examples.
Terry keeps the corkscrews with advertising and displays them at his store, Terry Robards Wines & Spirits Ltd., on Main Street in Lake Placid. The plain ones are either resold or given away to customers.
