How to open wine - with a corkscrew and without one
Opening wine seems wonderfully simple until you stand before a guest with a bottle in one hand, a cheap corkscrew in the other and a cork that has just broken in half. Or worse: when it turns out there is no corkscrew at all. This seemingly trivial moment can spoil the mood and even ruin a good bottle. Yet opening wine is a skill like any other - it is enough to learn a few rules and tools to do it confidently, elegantly and without mishaps. Here is a complete guide: what kinds of openers there are, how to use them, how to cope without a corkscrew and what to avoid.
The anatomy of the closure
Let us start by understanding what we are dealing with, because it makes all the rest easier. Classic wine is closed with a natural cork from the bark of the cork oak, covered on top by a capsule of foil or wax. The cork holds thanks to a tight fit in the neck and friction, and removing it consists of screwing in a spiral and pulling it out along the axis of the bottle. Increasingly you will also meet screw caps, which you open simply by hand, and synthetic corks. This piece concerns mainly the natural cork, because it is the one that can be a challenge. Understanding that the point is to overcome friction and pull the cork out straight, without tilting, is the basis of every effective opening method.
The waiter’s friend - king of openers
If you are to keep one opener at home, let it be the waiter’s friend, also called the waiter’s corkscrew. It is a folding, pocket tool with three elements: a small blade for the foil, a spiral (the worm) and a lever resting on the rim of the neck. It is compact, cheap, reliable and used by professionals around the world. Better models have a two-step lever, which makes it easier to pull a long cork in two movements. Mastering the waiter’s friend is the only skill you really need to open wine elegantly in any situation. Once you get the feel of it, other openers will seem superfluous. It is a tool worth carrying with you and knowing by heart.
How to use it step by step
Let us get practical, because the technique is simple once you break it down. First, with the blade cut the foil just below the bulging ring on the neck, turn the bottle and remove the capsule. Place the tip of the spiral slightly off the centre of the cork, push it in vertically and screw it straight down until one coil of the spiral remains in the cork - do not drill all the way through, or crumbs will fall into the wine. Rest the lever on the rim of the neck and lift the handle, pulling the cork halfway out. If you have a two-step lever, move it to the second step and repeat. Finally pull the cork out by hand, twisting it slightly, so it comes out quietly. The whole art is a confident, straight movement along the axis of the bottle.
Other types of corkscrew
It is worth knowing the alternatives, because each has its merits. The wing corkscrew (butterfly), with two arms that rise as you screw in, is intuitive and convenient for beginners, though larger. The lever corkscrew of the rabbit type or a table lever pulls the cork in one movement, strikingly and effortlessly - great for many bottles. There is also the simple T-shaped corkscrew, the oldest and cheapest, but demanding strength and risking a broken cork. At the other pole stand pneumatic (needle) openers, which push the cork out with air pressure. Each of them works, but for everyday use the waiter’s friend remains the most versatile and trustworthy. The choice depends on how often and how much wine you open.
Corks that cause trouble
Some corks need particular care, and it is worth recognising them. Old, long-aged wines often have brittle, soaked corks that easily break or crumble during extraction. For such bottles professionals use a special Ah-So opener, that is two flat blades slid down the sides of the cork to pull it out without piercing it - this saves delicate corks from crumbling. There is also the advanced Durand tool, combining a spiral with Ah-So blades, made for the oldest, most precious bottles. If you collect old wines, such an opener is a good investment. For ordinary, younger wines a waiter’s friend is enough, though - troublesome corks are the domain of wines aged for years.
What to do when the cork breaks
A broken cork is a classic mishap, but you can master it without panic. If the cork has broken and its lower part still sits in the neck, try gently screwing the spiral at an angle into the remaining fragment and pulling it out slowly, straight along the axis. When the cork is already very short or crumbling, sometimes the simplest thing is to push it into the bottle - the wine will not spoil, and you will strain out the pieces of cork by pouring the drink through a sieve or into a carafe. Floating cork crumbs are unsightly but completely harmless. Do not panic and do not yank - a calm, considered movement saves the situation. A broken cork ruins your nerves, not the wine, so it is worth keeping a cool head and acting methodically.
Opening without a corkscrew
And what when there is no corkscrew at all? There are several emergency methods, though all require caution. The simplest is pushing the cork inside with a blunt, narrow object - the handle of a wooden spoon, a pen - by even pressure on the centre of the cork until it drops into the wine. It works best on young wines with a fresh cork. Another method is screwing a long screw into the cork with a screwdriver, then pulling it out with pliers or a fork. There is also the heat method: warming the neck with warm water or a hairdryer makes the air in the bottle expand and push the cork out. All these ways are a last resort and carry risk, so treat them as a rescue, not a norm.
The dangerous shoe method
There circulates online a striking trick with a shoe, and it is worth knowing how it works and why to be careful. It consists of putting the base of the bottle into the heel of a hard shoe and hitting it, flat, against a wall or floor. The pressure wave gradually pushes the cork outward, millimetre by millimetre, until you can finish it by hand. The method works, but it is risky: an uncontrolled blow can shatter the bottle and cut you with glass or spill the whole wine. If you must try it, do it gently, on a soft surface and with the bottle wrapped in a towel. It is a trick for show and desperate situations, not an everyday method. It is far safer simply to buy a cheap waiter’s friend and never have this problem.
Opened, and what next
Opening the wine is not the end but the beginning - a few things are worth doing at once. If the cork smells of clean wood and wine, all is well; if it smells of must, wet cardboard or a damp cellar, the wine may be cork-tainted, which we discuss in our piece on wine faults. Some wines, especially young and tannic or very old, gain after pouring into a carafe, that is decanting. Remember too the right serving temperature and glass, because even a perfectly opened wine you will waste by serving it too warm or in the wrong glass. Opening is the prelude to the whole ritual of serving.
The essentials in brief
Let us gather it up. The best and most versatile opener is the waiter’s friend - master it, and you will cope with any bottle. Screw the spiral straight, leave one coil and pull the cork out along the axis, without yanking. For old, brittle corks use an Ah-So opener, and a broken cork calmly finish or push inside and strain. Without a corkscrew, rescue yourself by pushing the cork in with a blunt object, and leave the shoe method as a last resort and do it carefully. And simplest of all: always keep a cheap waiter’s friend on hand, and the problem of opening wine will vanish for good. It is a skill for life.
Note every wine you open in GustoNote - the type of closure, the state of the cork and your impressions. Over time opening will become a reflex, and you will focus only on what is in the glass.