Wondering how to open cork wine? There are a few ways to open a wine bottle if you have a corkscrew. By the way, you can still open a wine bottle without a corkscrew if you are creative. For tips on that front, use this guide to open wine without a corkscrew – it gives you six simple corkscrew-free methods to get your bottle open.
Step 1: Get A Wine Bottle Opener
While it is possible to remove a cork without a corkscrew, those methods are challenging to master. Instead, it is better to visit your favorite wine shop and ask them for a wine bottle opened. A wine bottle opener is an essential tool for anyone serious about wine.
In most cases, a traditional wine bottle opener with a screw is all you need. However, you might want to consider an electric corkscrew if you have limited strength in your hands.
Step 2: Get The Wine Bottle Ready
Before you start to open your wine bottle, it is vital to prepare. Using a serrated knife or sommelier knife, carefully remove the cork foil. Take your time in this step – it is possible to cut yourself on the metal (it has happened to me). In the case of sparkling wine like champagne, you may also have to remove a wire cage. The wire cage is used to keep the wine under pressure.
It is also important to dry the bottle before you open it. The wine bottle may have some moisture on it, depending on the humidity and storage. Drying the wine bottle is important because it is tough to get a comfortable grip on a damp bottle.
Step 3: Use An Actual Corkscrew!
Once the cork foil, wine cage, and other material have been removed, you are ready to start. Let’s assume you have an actual corkscrew. With your corkscrew in center of the cork, slowly twist the corkscrew in place. You will then be able to extract the cork from the bottle.
If you don’t own a corkscrew, go to your local wine shop and buy one. Wine is a hobby you can enjoy with minimal accessories and gadgets. It is much easier to learn how to open cork wine when you have the right equipment.
Step 4: Remove the Cork From the Wine Bottle
After you pull out the corkscrew, set it aside for later. If you do not finish the wine bottle, you might want the option to preserve the wine overnight by putting the cork back in place. Some wine producers also print information directly on the wine cork, so it is worth looking at the wine cork to deepen your wine knowledge.
Step 5: Check for Cork Pieces
Your average wine cork, especially relatively new, will likely come out of the bottle in a single piece. That said, a nice bottle aging for five or ten years is a different story. In an older bottle, cork pieces may fall into the bottle. Don’t feel embarrassed – cork pieces in wine are common.
To remove the cork pieces from your wine, pour the wine into a wine decanter. Pouring your delicious wine into a decanter also helps to open up the wine and help you appreciate it more.
Step 6: Enjoy The Wine
Your next step is to take a few minutes to enjoy your glass of wine. Taking a few minutes to slow down and sip your wine will help. To take your evening of wine to a deeper level of appreciation, consider watching something wine-themed like the Best Wine Movies On Netflix: 10 Must See Films.
Don’t Want To Learn How To Open Cork Wine?
If you don’t like the process of removing a wine cork, you have other options. There are corkless wine bottles available on the market. For example, many Australian wine bottles have a screwcap rather than a cork. That said, the most expensive wine in the world is still sold under a cork covering. While a cork is traditional, a bottle of wine can be tainted by a cork, so this tradition has a cost.
According to Aveine, 30% of wine bottles are closed with a screw cap globally but 90% of New Zealand use a screwcap. Screwcap coverings have been around since the 1950s so they are a well-established part of the wine world.
There Are Other Ways To Remove A Wine Cork
Using a proper wine opener like winged corkscrews is a safe method to open a bottle of wine. However, there are other methods. You can use a flat-soled shoe, a wire hanger, or a wooden show. These unconventional methods to open a bottle of wine are complex. There is a chance you may end up with broken glass or an injury. With that fair warning out of the way, find out how to open wine without corkscrew.
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