Ways How Not To Open A Wine Bottle Without A Bottle Opener
Easy. Twist it open A bottle meant to be drunk in such desperate circumstances is already closed by either a screw cap or any other easy-to-open closure. This doesnt mean screw-capped bottles are only for fast consumption or cheaper wines. On the contrary, some of the most age-worthy and most expensive wines are preserved thanks to a screw cap.
If you are facing a traditional bottle closed with a cork, please do not do it. Not without a bottle opener.
Let us imagine You end up at some beach party and there is no bottle opener in sight. That bottle of wine You brought wont impress anybody if You can`t open it.
Lighter Method Didnt Work For Us
We found this method very boring, waiting almost five minutes before we decided to call it a day. Five minutes might not seem like much but when youre holding a lighter to a bottleneck, it feels like an eternity.
Our fingers cramped, our thumbs got burnt, the lighter fluid diminished rapidly and we got no further to popping the cork.
Its claimed this method can take up to 10 minutes but with the lighter getting so hot in our hands, this just wasnt an option.
The Serrated Knife Trick
A post shared by Tayler McIntosh on Feb 13, 2017 at 4:06pm PST
Just as you would do with your car keys, a serrated blade could help you uncork a bottle of wine. If you insert a blade into the cork and are able to twist the cork in an upwards motion, the next step will ensure a clean exit. Once you have about an inch or so of cork to work with, take the knife out, stick it in again sideways, and simply twist out the cork in a circular motion.
Also Check: Total Wine Nebraska
Open Wine With A Screw And Hammer
The idea here: twist a long screw into the cork, then pull it out using the claw part of a hammer.
“This seems like the general idea of how a waiter’s corkscrew works,” says Brickel. “Using torque and leverage to remove it.” But both he and Ortiz fear that applying force to a hammer pressed against the mouth of the bottle can shatter the glass. “No one wants wine with a hint of glass shard in it!” Ortiz emphasizes. Although both are willing to give the method the benefit of the doubt, Selinger states bluntly: “This is a good way to get cork into your wine or lose a part of your hand.”
The Reverse Cork Method
Instead of trying to get the cork out of the wine bottle without a corkscrew, try to get it in. Place the end of a wooden spoon’s handle on top of the cork. Using a rubber mallet, the back of a cleaver, or a rolling pin, tap on the top of the spoon so that the handle pushes the cork further into the bottle until the neck is clear and the cork is floating, fully intact, in the wine.
You May Like: Shaoxing Wine Where To Buy
The Towel Wrap Method
This one is risky, but if you take your time, it should work perfectly. You’ll need 1-2 thick towels or blankets.
Don’t try to get it all out at once! The key here is to move the cork a little at a time.
How To Open A Sparkling Wine Bottle
The process is different if youâre trying to figure out how to open a Roscato wine bottle. Or any other screw-capped or pressurized sparkling wine bottle.
First, always keep the bottle pointed away from guests and keep a thumb or hand on the cork at all times. Then remove the foil by either pulling on the tab or cutting it cleanly at the bottom of the cage. Untwist the wire cage and loosen it for removal. Tighten your grip on the cork and, holding the bottle at a 45-degree angle, twist the bottle . Do so until the cork is released and let the CO2 rush quiet.
Two things should be re-emphasized here. The wire cage shouldnât be removed until after the cork is released from the bottle. And the bottle should be twisted, not the cork.
You May Like: What Wine Can You Have On Keto
The One With A Wall And Someones Shoe
This is always a showstopper at parties . Find a shoe thats fairly flat and firm, place your wine bottle in the shoe, base first. With the shoe in place, whack the base of the wine and shoe against a hard wall and the cork will slowly ease its way out. Keep an eye on that before you give yourself an accidental wine shower.
Add Pressure With A Bike Pump
Happen to have a bike pump nearby? Probably not, but it’s still a neat tool to use for a unique wine-opening method, as Kristy Kreme shows on YouTube.
Stick your bike pump into the cork, and get pumping. As you force air into and through the cork, you’ll create enough pressure to make it fly out of the bottle.
Also Check: Wines Low In Sugar And Carbs
Apply Heat With A Blowtorch
This method is pretty crazy, but it works . It requires the use of a blowtorch. Heat is applied to the bottleneck just below the cork, the air expands and pushes the cork out.
This method is potentially dangerous, as a cold bottle can easily explode if it is subjected to a rapid temperature increase. The bottle therefore needs to be reasonably warm to start with.
Twist It Out With Keys Or A Serrated Knife
This method is somewhat similar to the first option, in which a screw and hammer are used to yank out the cork. This time, however, just plunge your keys or a serrated knife into the cork at a 45-degree angle and move the top of the item in a circle, essentially twisting the cork out slowly. After a couple rotations, the cork should come out. Make sure you really get your item into the cork because if you dont, the cork could crumble.
Read Also: Can Alcohol Be Shipped To Kentucky
Banging Against The Wall
When we think of elegance, one more trick is our favorite. Maybe You have heard about the Banging a bottle against the wall routine. Well, regardless if You are using a shoe or a towel or whatever to prevent breaking the bottle , please do not do it. Have You heard of a travel shock? A good wine should rest a while before opening, not to be banged against the wall . We are putting so much effort into preserving bottles and improving logistics of transporting it to consumers and You will bang it against the wall?!?
Opening Beer Bottles On The Go
You May Like: Boonie Doon Winery
How To Use A Bike Pump To Open A Wine Bottle
If youre not sure the wooden spoon hack is right for you , dont despair. Theres another option to open wine and its about as unexpected and simple as it gets.
For this maneuver, youll need:
- A bicycle pump with a needle attachment
First, take the needle and push it straight through into the center of the cork. Slowly start pumping air into the bottle. The cork should gradually begin to rise up the neck of the bottle. Once it gets closer to the top of the bottle, you can wiggle the cork to pull it out. And just like that, your wine bottle is open.
Use Any Available Edge To Open A Bottle
Place one edge of your bottles cap on the edge of a table or a countertop. Make sure to hold the bottles neck tight. Also, use your hand properly to slam down on your glass bottle. To open up a bottle with this trick may take a few taps.
However, if you are a pro in this trick then your cap can pop off the cap of the bottle in one try with ease.
Recommended Reading: How To Remove Wine Stains From White Shirt
Never Open Wine With A Shoe Or By Hitting It Against The Wall
Finally, there is the bottle-smacking methods. All of them were equally upsetting to our panel. The most common one is to wrap the bottle in a towel and gently hit it against the wall. “Do not do this. It’s stupid,” Selinger says flatly. And although Ortiz generously concedes, “Have people done it successfully? Yes,” but follows up by quickly saying “Does that make it a good idea or safe? No.”
He has the same feeling about wrapping it in a towel, holding it upside down, then smacking it with the bottom of a shoe. “Smacking bottles is generally a good way to send vibrations through the glass that can cause shattering. Imagine holding a bottle upside-down while hitting it with enough force to pop a corkit’s likely to fly out of your hand and smash on the floor. And if the cork comes out while the bottle is upside-down, you will lose all your wine to gravity.”
At that point, “Just drink a beer,” Selinger advises drily.
The Screw & Hammer Method
This method is the safest and most foolproof way to open a wine bottle.
You’ll need a screwdriver, a screw , and a hammer.
If you’re gentle, the cork should come out perfectly without any damage to the wine or the cork.
Don’t Miss: Best Stella Rosa Flavors
Ways To Open A Wine Bottle Without A Bottle Opener
Contents
It can be fun to learn how to open a wine bottle without a bottle opener. If you have been wondering how to open a bottle of your own, you will find that it is easier than you think. While in fact, you do not even need any special tools to open a bottle of your own wine, there are a few steps that you will want to follow in order to ensure that you are doing it right the first time. As always, practice makes perfect and following these steps before you actually attempt to open the bottle will ensure that you do not end up damaging it in any way.
The very first step in learning how to open a wine bottle without an opener is to make sure that the bottle is completely cool. This means that you should not drink it from an ice chest or cooler that is too hot. You can also help to cool the bottle by taking a drink coaster that you have purchased at the store and placing it on the counter of the cooler that you will be using in order to open the bottle. There are some models of household openers that will fit on a refrigerator door. These types of bottles openers are typically made from stainless steel and will prevent the wine from cooling too quickly and giving you the chance to crack the cork before it has a chance to be opened. The coaster also keeps the bottle from tipping over and causing spillage on your countertop.
How To Open A Waxed Wine Bottle
If youâve got a wax-sealed wine bottle, you may be tempted to cut through the wax as if it were foil. You should follow that temptation. Because that is the correct thing to do.
There may be a pull-tab on the wax, too. If so, great. Pull that and youâll be able to remove the wax easily. But if not, just cut the wax cleanly with your corkscrewâs knife around the bottleâs neck. Then youâll be able to lift off the top of the wax like foil. Then itâs business as usual.
Recommended Reading: Good Wine With Salmon
Pushing The Cork Into The Bottle
Clever Hacks On How To Open A Wine Bottle Without A Corkscrew
Your favorite stemware is ready. You bring out that bottle of wine that youve been thinking of for days, then you realize that you cant find the corkscrew. You end up asking yourself, how to open wine bottle without opener?
There are many ways to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew. You can use household items, such as a wire hanger, a key, scissors, or even a wooden spoon to push the cork down.
Before you start wasting that vino out of frustration, take comfort in knowing that you can safely perform these tried and tested hacks at the comfort of your home.
You May Like: Can You Drink Wine On A Keto Diet
Al Fresco Use Mother Nature / A Tree
If you find yourself bare-footed in a forest without a shoe, screwdriver or Sharpie to use dont worry! Mother nature will always be your friend.
Wrap a cloth or t-shirt around the bottle to give you a bit of grip then as per the shoe method tap it gently against the trunk of a steady tree until the cork pops right out.
Once again, be prepared to lose your bottle of wine if you dont do this one properly.
Push The Cork Down With A Wooden Spoon
Finally, If you cant get the cork out, why not push it in instead? If youre not opposed to drinking wine with a floating cork in it, then this is the easiest way.
This method is best for rubber corks or newer corks because a vintage bottle of wine most likely will have a crumbling cork.
a.) Using the back of a wooden spoon, press with consistent pressure down on the middle of the cork.
b.) Keep a steady and tight grip on the base of the opening. Also, make sure youre holding the neck of the bottle.
c.) The cork should push down into the body of the bottle.
d.) Use a mesh strainer as you pour to help get rid of those floating bits.
You May Like: Wine Labels For Bridesmaids
How To Open Champagne Or Sparkling Wine
When it comes to opening sparkling wine or Champagne, its essential to keep the cork pointing away from your face at all times. Theres a lot of pressure in a bottle of sparkling wine, so its not worth risking any black eyes .
With the top of the bottle facing away from you and anyone else in the vicinity remove the foil covering the cork. Next, keeping your thumb over the cork, twist off the metal cage, and discard it.
Hold the bottles base steady against your body and place your palm over the cork firmly. Start to slowly twist the base of the bottle. Keep hold of the cork and gently pull as it loosens. Hold on tightly to make sure it doesnt pop out of your hand.
Popping a bottle of bubbly can be difficult and even a little scary. But with practice, patience, and a strong grip, youll soon be sipping those lovely bubbles.