When buying a cork pull, you’ll have several types to choose from, the two most common being waiter’s pulls and wing-type pulls. A wing-type pull is easier to understand, but a waiter’s pull is faster and more elegant after you’ve used it a few times. 

Whichever type of opener you choose, take a close look at the part which goes into the cork. It will be either a ‘worm’ or a ‘screw.’ A worm is a thin, spiraling piece of metal that is open in the middle of the spiral. A screw is solid in the center, with biting edges molded around it. 

You want the worm! Especially with an older vintage! It doesn’t tear the cork up like a solid screw does, and gives you a much better chance of opening your bottle without getting debris poured into your glass. Solid screws are usually responsible for a cork breaking or crumbling when you’re opening a bottle.

With that in mind, corks older than 10 years or so are much more likely to break or crumble. A third cork pull style is the two-pronged, and it's a good choice for older bottles once you get the hang of it.

The absolute best opener for older bottlings is the Durand which combines an open worm with the two-prong style. Don't worry- it's simpler to use than it appears.