How To Use A Corkscrew
There are two kinds of corkscrews you’ll come across most frequently: a winged corkscrew and a wine key. While both kinds are inexpensive, easy to find, and relatively easy to use, it’s still possible to break a cork if you’re using one without the proper technique. Here’s the best way to use both kinds.
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.
How To Open A Wine Bottle With A Corkscrew
Opening a wine bottle with a wine bottle opener is a step-by-step process. Weâll lay it out one step at a time. And weâll assume youâre opening your wine bottle with a corkscrew on a wine key, a type of wine bottle opener.
- Step 1: Cut the foil beneath the bottleâs lower lip. Cut it all the way around the bottleâs neck. Then youâll be able to neatly remove the top of the foil off. As if you were politely removing someoneâs hat. Put the foil in your pocket.
- Step 2: Press the tip of the corkscrew into the center of the cork and push just enough to break the corkâs surface. This is where youâll be drilling down. Youâre just positioning the corkscrew right now. Next, straighten the corkscrew upright while still holding the tip in place.
- Step 3: Rotate the corkscrew approximately 6 to 7 times. Or however long it takes for the hook of the corkscrewâs lever to be in a position to latch onto the bottleâs upper lip.
- Step 4: Place the lever on the bottleâs upper and push down, leveraging the cork out. Donât do this too quickly. There shouldnât be a popping sound. Once the cork is almost entirely out, wiggle it and pull it gentle and finally remove it by hand.
- Step 5: Wipe the bottleâs lip of any sediment or cork pieces.
- Step 6: Place the cork on the table and your corkscrew in your pocket.
But wait, what if youâve got no corkscrew? All good.
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Bang It Against The Wall
This method introduced by a popular YouTube video on how to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew produces mixed results depending on the type of cork in your bottle save this trick for last if you can. Heres how it works: Wrap the bottom of the bottle in a small towel or washcloth. Stuff the wrapped bottle into the heel of a sturdy dress shoe. Bang the heel flat against a wall several times until the cork starts to pop out. Finish the job with your hands, lest you want the cork to blast out of the bottle on a geyser of horizontal vino.
Add these kitchen shortcuts to your cooking arsenal.
How To Open A Wine Bottle With Chopsticks
Use a chopstick to simply push the cork into the bottle. Its the same trick as using a pen. Nothing fancy, but its a bit easier than the pen way as a chopstick is bigger and sturdier.
Are you in a need of a corkscrew all of a sudden and youre a crafty guy or gal? Put all the hacks aside and make your very own DIY corkscrew.
You will need:
A simple project, indeed, provided youve got the tools and skills for it.
If you dont have the tools nor skills for the welding project above, theres always this option a kit. Use it to make your own custom and fancy wine opener. You can even make it as a gift.
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Use Your Trusty Shoe Any Kind Works
This option is good for when you have no other resources available. You can use your shoe, whatever kind of you have on or nearby works. You just need one with a rigid bottom to tap the cork out of the bottle.
Put the bottle of wine inside the shoe the bottom of the bottle should be resting where your heel normally rests. Tap it against the wall while holding the bottle against the shoe. Do it a couple of times until the cork starts pushing outwards.
The key is to go slowly, applying gentle tapping force. Dont wait for the cork to get fully out of the bottle, or the wine will spill! Once its pushed out enough, remove the cork by hand.
How To Uncork Wine Without Corkscrew
Most plush social gatherings rely on the cocktail of company and the wine at hand. In order to elevate the ambience of a party and keep the tongues ticking, it is only imperative that good wine is in the house to set the mood.
With that being said, not everyones a fan of boxed wine and perhaps it doesnt quite offer the rustic charms of wine that comes with a cork or a screw cap. Imagine a beautiful evening that implores you to supplement it with some amazing wine. However, the obstacle at hand is the fact that the bottle has been corked and you dont really have a corkscrew at your disposal. You cant really abate the good times over that, can you?
Thankfully, there are plenty of workarounds and ways through which one can uncork wine without a corkscrew. Not only would these hacks save you from imminent embarrassment, but will also impress onlookers in particular if youre out on a date. Doesnt hurt to look nifty, does it?
So, lets get on with it, shall we? We shall list out a few hacks here to uncork wine without a corkscrew, so as to you not getting cork crumbs in your wine.
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No Hanger To Spare Use Paper Clips
If destroying a perfectly good hanger is out of the question, you can use paper clips instead. Its the same concept as with the hanger, but this one requires more precision.
a.) Partially straighten two paper clips, but just the middle part. Dont straighten the U shapes on both ends.
b.) Slide one down between the cork and side of the bottle, then do the same on the opposite side of the cork. Push down until the U-shape is below the cork.
c.) Rotate the clip to position the U-shapes beneath the cork.
d.) Join the two other U-shapes outside the bottle. You can insert a pencil under the hooks or tie them together in a tight knot.
e.) Slowly pull the clips up, making sure the cork is going as well. Give it a few twists while pulling up.
The Coarseness Can Be Adjusted
A way to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew mill’s fineness or coarseness should be taken into account when shopping around.
The easiest way to make your way to open a wine bottle without a corkscrews more interesting is to choose a way to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew with varying coarseness levels.
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When Choosing Way To Open A Wine Bottle Without A Corkscrews How Do You Go About It
There is still a need to complete the way to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew list. It is not the same for all prices or way to open a wine bottle without a corkscrews. In addition to frequency of use and your budget, the type of way to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew you choose will play a role in how much you spend.
How To Recork A Wine Bottle
This is a method to recork and reseal a wine bottle if you have to do it. It goes as far as showing you how to put the foil covers on the bottles.
Inserting the cork itself is the easy part as it requires to simply force it in. Then, refer to the video to see how to close the foil cover for the complete process.
The bottle turns out as new .
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How To Open A Wine Bottle With A Lighter
This is our favorite way to open a wine bottle without a wine opener. But please be careful. It involves fire.
First, remove the foil or wax to expose the cork. Then use a lighter and apply the flame on the neck of the bottle, just beneath where the cork is. The idea is to heat the air beneath the cork. This causes the air to expand and push the cork upward.
Rotate the placement of the lighter around the bottleâs neck to make sure youâre heating all the air. In a minute or two, youâll see the cork creeping upwards and out.
This is our preferred method because thereâs no risk in breaking the cork and it’s nothing something you learn about wine from a book.
Slap It Out With A Shoe
This is a similar method to the previous one, but its a little less risky. Wrap the bottom of the wine bottle in a towel, but instead of proceeding to slam it against a wall, simply put it upside down in between your legs while sitting and slap it with a shoe. This may take a long time, but it is a safer option than number 6. Remember to stop before the cork comes all the way out, or else you will have yourself a bit of a mess and some permanent stains.
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Open Wine With A Bike Pump Or Ball Pump
Another solution they consider acceptable is the bike or ball pump method. This involves stabbing the needle of the pump into the cork and slowly, carefully pushing air into the bottle until the cork eventually rises up. “This is actually incredibly clever!,” says Brickel. “There are some very expensive wine openers out there that basically do this same thing air pressure can be your friend.”
Only caveat here is the obvious question: “Why would I have a bike pump and not a wine key?!” Selinger jokes.
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How To Open A Wine Bottle With A Nail Cutter
This method is fun. Making a tool from something is always fun. So heres how to make a nail clipper work for you to open that bottle:
The method is similar to the key, knife, spoon tricks, so its another makeshift tool you can use to get the job done.
Toenail clippers will work for this better as they are bigger and will provide a better grip for the twisting action.
Air pressure is your friend when it comes to getting the cork out. If you can increase it within the bottle, the thing will fly out of there like a rocket. There are several methods , and if you want to get technical a compressor will allow you to pop those bottles by a dozen .
All you need for this is a pump needle to insert through the cork. Then turn on the compressor and watch it pop.
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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.
Here’s A Toast To Our Hard Work
It’s a lot more work than using a trusty corkscrew. Maybe next time invest in a wine travel bag or picnic basket and accessories. Or impress your friends with a fancy Rabbit wine opener or a high tech automatic corkscrew.
Once you’ve finished a few bottles of your uniquely opened wine, you may even have enough corks leftover to get crafty and repurpose them. If the wine isn’t all that great, though, we have tips on how to make it taste better without any special tools. Lastly, check out our helpful hints on how to make opened wine last longer.
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How To Open A Wine Bottle With A Knife
Hereâs how to open a bottle without a wine bottle opener in a very similar way to the key method above.
Youâll take a relatively sharp steak knife . The goal is to skewer the middle of the cork downward and at an angle. So insert the knife just off the edge of the cork, angled toward the center. Push it down about an inch. Then youâll have a good enough grip on the cork to start pushing or pulling it circularly.
Eventually, the cork will loosen and come up a bit. Itâs basically the key method but with a knife.
There are a few considerations to make based on more unique styles of wine, however.
Easy Ways To Open A Bottle Of Wine Without A Corkscrew
Sometimes, you get a chance to enjoy a bottle of wine far away from your kitchen. Maybe you’re traveling or at a picnic. In these situations, it’s handy to know how to uncork a wine bottle safely without a wine bottle opener. To help, we’ve outlined the steps for 8 of the safest, most foolproof ways to open wine bottles!
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How To Open A Wine Bottle With A Key
Another way to open a bottle of wine without a bottle opener is with a standard house key. This way is far less elegant than using a lighter. And it excels with synthetic corks versus wooden corks.
Grab a towel and a key. Point your key at a 45-degree angle and insert the tip into the cork. Just off one of the sides and pointing toward the center of the cork. The goal is to skewer the cork at an angle, crossing the center. Once the key is inserted, grab the towel and place it over the key so you can press the key down forcefully. Do so until the keyâs teeth are almost entirely in the cork.
Then, key firmly in place, try to move it circularly while lifting a bit. Do this repeatedly until the cork begins moving slowly upward. Be sure not to lift the key too aggressively, or youâll just pull it out of the cork. Or make the cork crumble into the wine. Tannins in wine is one thing, but cork in wine is another thing entirely.
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.
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How To Open A Wine Bottle With A Screw Driver
Well, and a screw, and a nail hammer. This is one of my favorites as it is easy and safe enough:
The only caveat of this method is that you need fairly a lot of resources. So if youre not at home, you have better chances of having the actual corkscrew than all these tools with you.
Option : Get Hammered
If you dont have a corkscrew to open your wine, but you do happen to have a hammer and a screw, youre closer than you think to that first sip. Gently push a screw about three quarters of the way into the cork, and use the nail-remover lever of a clawed hammer to wiggle the screw – and the cork – out of the bottle.
Its definitely a trick that requires a bit of finesse. Corks might be cracked and bottles may tip over in the process, but with a little luck youll make short work of that cork.
Image via Tabsprint
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