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5 fail-safe ways to uncork wine bottles without a corkscrew

25/08/2020 Wine service

Relaxing, walking on the beach, out in the countryside, mini breaks. An impromptu dinner, a picnic with friends… you’ve brought the perfect wine but no corkscrew!

Don’t worry, here are 5 fail-safe tricks to open your wine and not have to miss out just because you haven’t got the right tool.

5 ways to open a wine bottle

5 ways to open a bottle of wine without using a corkscrew

1.- Push the cork down

This is the easiest solution. Instead of uncorking the bottle, this method involves using any solid object that you have to hand to push the cork inside the bottle, where it will stay. That will leave the top of the bottle free for the wine to pour out.

2.- Using a key

The idea is to push the key, at an angle, down into the cork as far as possible so that it functions as a lever that you can turn until the cork comes out of the bottle.  Be sure to use a strong key so it won’t bend or break, and protect your hands so you don’t get hurt. This trick works best if the cork is synthetic; if the cork is natural, you will need to turn the key little by little to avoid breaking it.

3.- Using a lighter

With any luck, someone nearby will be carrying a lighter.  The very important first step here is to remove the metal cap that covers the cork. Then, using the lighter, heat the neck of the bottle (the space with no liquid but that contains air). When the air heats up, the cork will rise up out of the bottle as if by magic. Of course, be very careful not to burn yourself on the hot glass.

4.- Using a screw

You might not always have a screw to hand, but if you do, this is another tool you can use to uncork a bottle without using a corkscrew. Insert the screw in the middle of the cork like you would with a corkscrew. Don’t screw it in fully, leave a small space to use a fork as a lever and pull out the cork. Simple as that!  Now you can enjoy your glass of wine.

5.- Using a shoe

That’s right, a shoe! But not just any shoe. It needs to not have a heel and have some sole, preferably a rubber one. Insert the base of the bottle in the heel and hold both objects, bottle and shoe, tightly, and hit the heel of the shoe with some force against a surface. This constant tapping will make the cork move upwards. It’s important to do this carefully because getting it wrong might cost you a bottle of wine or even cause injuries. A bit of a strange method, but it definitely works. It has been tried and tested.

Hopefully these recommendations will be helpful in an emergency. If you are a true wine lover, it is of course always best to carry a corkscrew with you. And for wines, fear not; our catalogue has recommendations for all occasions, styles and tastes. All you need to do is open the bottle.

Image by Marcelo Leal «Wine 5».

Original on Unsplash, @ marceloleal80

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