Want to try that expensive bottle of red wine but don’t know where to start? Use a simple tool like a wine corkscrew to easily and elegantly remove corks or synthetic stoppers from red wine bottles. Start learning how to use a bottle opener correctly now and impress your significant other and your guests.
Use a Butterfly Corkscrew
Slit the foil envelope covering the mouth of the bottle. Use a regular knife to cut a circle along the bottom of the lip of the wine bottle. If you don’t have a knife handy, you can also use the sharp end of a corkscrew. Make a complete circle along the bottom edge of the bottle lip.
Peel off the foil covering the cork with your hands. You can also tear off the tin foil around the neck of the bottle (or not). If you want to put the cork back in to preserve the remaining wine, it is recommended to tear it off. If the tin foil on the neck of the bottle cannot be removed, you can cut it diagonally downward from the mouth of the bottle.
Lift up both arms of the corkscrew. Butterfly corkscrews (or double-wing corkscrews) have two levers that can easily pry off bottle corks.
Lift the arm of the corkscrew so that the auger of the corkscrew can drill all the way to the lowest part of the cork, and then use force to pull out the cork.
Turn the auger into the cork. Using a little force, press the auger down smoothly, with the tip against the cork. Turn the key-like handle on the top of the bottle opener, and the bottle opener will be slowly screwed into the cork. Most bottle openers twist in a clockwise direction.
- When turning the auger, make sure it is always perpendicular to the surface of the cork. If it spins crookedly, you may have to do it all over again or you’ll break the cork.
Continue turning until the auger is into the cork. If you have not raised the two arms of the corkscrew before, as you continue to rotate, the two arms will slowly rise to the highest position. Be careful not to turn it too deep or it will pierce the cork. You can stop when the last ring of the auger enters the cork.
Press the wine opener down. Place the bottle on a level surface and press both arms with both hands. This allows you to remove the cork easily and smoothly.
Shake the corkscrew back and forth while pulling outwards, and the cork will come out with a gentle, comforting “pop.”
Unscrew the bottle opener from the cork. Lift the arm of the corkscrew again, hold the cork firmly with one hand, and turn the auger counterclockwise with the other hand until it is completely out. Now just let the wine air out for a few minutes (decant) and enjoy.
Use Wine Knife
Use the blade of a wine knife to slit the foil envelope. Unlike a butterfly corkscrew, a wine knife folds like a portable knife and usually comes with a folding knife. Open the wine knife and use a folding knife to draw a circle along the lower edge of the bottle lip. Peel off the foil wrapper and put away the pocket knife when finished.
Open the auger and screw in the cork. Gently press and turn the auger clockwise until the auger is almost all the way into the cork. Note that the auger remains perpendicular to the surface of the bottle cork. Unlike the butterfly corkscrew, the wine knife does not have a cover that can be placed on the outside of the bottle neck as a reference.
Use the lever to remove the cork. The wine knife does not have arms like butterfly wings but uses its main part (the stand) to support the mouth of the wine bottle to exert force. Attach the hook or clip of the stand to the edge of the bottle mouth secure the bottle neck and stand tightly together with your hands. Then lift the other end of the wine knife handle upwards. This will allow you to pull out some of the cork. If your wine knife has a two-level hook, place the second-level hook on the mouth of the bottle and repeat the previous action. This will allow you to pull most of the cork out of the bottle.
Pull out the cork and unscrew the wine knife. While removing the cork, shake the wine knife until the cap is completely pulled out. Then unscrew the cork with the wine knife.
Use Simple Bottle Opener
Peel off the foil envelope. You can use a knife or the tip of an auger.
Screw the auger into the cork in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the cork. Make a fist, hold the handle tightly, and hold the auger between your middle and ring fingers. Insert the tip of the auger into the cork. Holding the wine bottle firmly, twist the corkscrew until the auger is almost into the cork.
Grasp the neck of the bottle firmly with your other hand and hold it against your body or under your arm. Make sure the bottle won’t fall if the cork pops out, you won’t hit anyone around you, and you’ll want to keep it out of the way of things you don’t want the wine to spill on.
Hold the bottle opener firmly with your hand, do not turn it, and pull the cork straight. Use steady force and don’t make sudden force. Because there is no lever system, it may be a little laborious to pull out. Sometimes the bottle stopper happens to be plugged very tightly, and, likely, it cannot be pulled out at all. So you have to put in a certain amount of effort. The cork may be pulled out suddenly, so be prepared.
- Be careful not to hit others, and be careful not to drop the bottle and spill the wine.
- If the cork is indeed stuck, try running the top of the bottle under hot water for 30 seconds. As the temperature rises, the glass expands, loosening the cork and making it easier to remove.
Tips
- When screwing in the cork, be sure to keep the corkscrew perpendicular to the surface of the cork.
- Most Swiss Army knives come with an auger. Prepare a Swiss Army Knife and you can open wine anytime, anywhere.
- Run the top of a wine bottle under hot water for 30 seconds to loosen a tight cork.
- Be prepared for the bottle cap to fly off at any time, and do not point the bottle mouth towards anyone.
- Don’t drill too deep to avoid pushing the cork into the bottle.