Opening a bottle of wine is a ritual that many of us enjoy, especially when it comes to the traditional method of opening a bottle of wine with a corkscrew. However, if you don’t have one to hand, you may feel like you’re out of luck.
But. don’t panic, there are plenty of ways to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew! In this post, we are going to be exploring some of the best techniques that will help you open a wine bottle in no time!
Just keep on reading.
5 Ways To Open A Wine Bottle Without A Corkscrew
Before we get into the various ways you can open a bottle of wine without the aid of a corkscrew or bottle opener, we just want to give a quick disclaimer here.
Even though the alternative wine-opening methods we are going to be sharing with you below are tried and tested, none of these methods are totally foolproof.
So, you should make sure that you approach these with caution, especially if you have an expensive or rare bottle of wine that you don’t want to get damaged.
Let’s take a look:
The Wooden Spoon Method
One of the easiest ways to open up a bottle of wine when you don’t have a corkscrew available is with the assistance of none other than a wooden spoon!
This is a simple and effective way to open up a bottle of wine, and also has a lower risk of the wine bottle smashing while removing the corkscrew.
In order to open up the wine bottle, you should go ahead and take a wooden spoon (or something similar) and begin to firmly press the base of the wooden spoon into the corkscrew.
By pressing down on the corkscrew, it should get pushed into the wine bottle itself, which will then allow you to access the wine inside.
Keep in mind that this particular method can require quite a lot of arm strength. For this reason, we recommend wrapping a towel around the base of the wine bottle to give you a better grip while pushing the corkscrew in, as well as to prevent any slipping.
The Screwdriver and Hammer Method
Yes, you read that right! A screwdriver and hammer combination is one of the most popular ways to open up a bottle of wine when a corkscrew isn’t near, and it also just so happens to be one of the safer alternatives, as well.
In order to open up your bottle of wine with a screwdriver, you are going to want to go ahead and take a screw (ideally, a long one) and screw it into the cork until there is around an inch left exposed.
After you have done this, you can then take the backside of the hammer and position it under the screw to lock the two together. From there, you should then be able to simply pull out the cork.
The Coat Hanger Method
Another way that you can open up your bottle of wine when you don’t have a corkscrew is by using a wired hanger!
Now, even though this method is relatively simple to do, it is worth noting that it will cause your wired hanger to become damaged beyond repair.
If you aren’t bothered by this, all you will have to do is simply take your wired hanger and bend the tip of it 30 degrees backward. When done correctly, you should notice that the wired hanger resembles a fish hook.
After you have done this, you can then go ahead and simply slide the wire fish hook that you have made down the wine bottle so that it is situated alongside the corkscrew.
Once you have done that, you can then go ahead and rotate the wire approximately 90 degrees so that the hook will be twisted underneath the cork.
When you’re ready, go ahead and pull the wire up with a firm grip, and you should discover that the corkscrew pops right out!
Alternatively, if you don’t have a wire hanger or the corkscrew is being particularly stubborn, you can also pop out the corkscrew with pliers.
The Wall Method
The next method that we have to share with you involves a wall. For this reason, we highly recommend that you proceed with caution before trying out this method, as there is a much higher chance of the wine bottle becoming damaged.
Besides wasting the wine inside, if the wine bottle shatters, you might also get injured.
Still, if you need to open up the bottle and you don’t have any tools we have listed in the previous methods, the wall method might allow you to open the bottle successfully.
In order to do this, you will need to take the bottom of the wine bottle and wrap it in one or two towels for safety.
After you have done this, you can then go ahead and begin to bang the top area of the wine bottle (where the corkscrew is) on the wall.
This should cause the nape of the wine bottle to break, which will allow you to gain access to the wine inside. If you are unable to do this, we recommend stopping until you can get your hands on a corkscrew or bottle opener.
The Key Method
Last but certainly not least, the final method that we have to share with you involves using a key!
In order to try this method out for yourself, you will be required to simply take a key (such as a house or car key) and gently insert it into the top of your wine bottle’s cork.
Then, similar to the screwdriver and hammer method, you will then need to go ahead and begin twisting the key into the cork and you should find that it begins to loosen and come out of the wine bottle.
For the best results when using this method, we recommend that you insert the key at a 45 degree angle,and ensure that you insert the key as far down into the cork as possible.
If you don’t this might cause the cork to begin to crumble, which will make it harder to remove.
The Bottom Line: Which Method Will You Try?
All in all, even though it is recommended that you open up your bottles of wine with a corkscrew (if you have a wine bottle that has been sealed with a cork, that is) there are a variety of additional ways that you can open up a bottle of wine if your corkscrew has gotten lost (Also check out How To Close A Wine Bottle Without A Cork).
However, keep in mind that these methods may potentially damage the cork or the bottle, which means that they might not be suitable ways to open up all types of wine.
In particular, if you have a valuable or delicate bottle of wine that you don’t want to break or shatter, it’s best to just purchase a corkscrew opener so that you can avoid any potential mishaps.
I can offer you articles and information about wine from a seasoned sommelier, and now a winemaker too! I hope that you enjoy some of our articles, and start thinking outside of the box when it comes to wine.
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