The Tasting Panel magazine

May 2010

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INNOVATIONS Twist of Fate H THE NIFTY NEW TORKSCREW TAKES ON CORKS AND SCREWCAPS er husband was off spending the days sculpt- ing at Carrara’s famed marble mines. So Leisa Bates, with time in abundance, would stroll the Tuscan markets and wineries, sampling the local fare, gathering some of this and a little of that. She’d then spend the afternoon creating her own masterpieces—of the culinary sort. It was there and then, early last fall, that the TorkScrew began an accelerated journey from notion to product-on-the-market. “Being in Italy for five weeks last year really helped crystallize in my mind the idea of ‘beautiful entertain- ment,’” Leisa says. “It’s not fancy in an uptight way, but in a way that appreciates what’s real and has quality, and that is engaging, interesting and fun.” Opening a bottle of wine by grab- bing it by the neck and wrenching the cap off with your bare hands—well, that just wouldn’t be bella svago. Leisa and Mark Bates are inveterate entrepreneurs, partners in a Portland advertising agency, Zoom Creates, and owners of a boutique hotel, the Orenco Manor in nearby Hillsboro. Upon their return from Italy, they got to work on Leisa’s idea to create a classy wine-bottle opener for the screwcap age. Their TorkScrew, unveiled in March, retails for around $20. It resembles the familiar waiter’s key, with its foil cutter, corkscrew and lever. But the TorkScrew distinguishes itself with a rubberized grip that fits over virtually any screwcap or sparkling wine cork. An easy twist to the left, and off comes the cap or cork. The Bateses and business partner Neil Klindworth view the device as ideal for home entertaining as well as for wait- staff, who can present screwcap bottles formally without carrying a separate tool. The TorkScrew, they say, also makes the nervous task of opening sparkling bottles a breeze. And with its magnetized base, the colorful TorkScrew won’t get lost in a drawer: Just stick it on the fridge. The TorkScrew is available at www.torkscrew.com, and the Bateses say it’s only the beginning for them. They plan a line of products from their new company, BellaSvago, which, indeed, translates to “beautiful entertainment.” —Pete Danko 28 / the tasting panel / may 2010 The Torkscrew team: Neil Klindworth, Leisa Bates and Mark Bates. PHOTO: PETE DANKO

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