We all have some kind of comfort food and to some people its alcohol. Since it’s obvious that we’d discuss wines, lets first know how to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew.
Wines can be your comfort food or an accompaniment with your dinner every night. People who have a knack of wines love to try different types of it. But would you want to consume this comfort food going through an uncomfortable process? No! Here we will tell you how to open wine bottle without opener.
To many people, corkscrews are not the most convenient way of opening a wine bottle. There are also people who would rather try other forms of opening the bottle than a corkscrew. If you find the corkscrews uncomfortable or you feel that you’re better off without them, try the tips given below.
Table of Contents
How to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew?
Before you read the following and think that these will definitely work, we’d like to give you a disclaimer. Not every kind of wine bottle can be opened with these tricks below. But that doesn’t mean you have to resort to corkscrew. One of the methods will definitely work, so it’s better to know most of them.
Just make sure that you don’t screw up the bottle when trying to open it unnaturally. Since most wine comes in glass bottles, if it slips from your hand it can fall and break. You need to make sure you don’t chip the wine bottle or break it.
Let’s make sure you don’t break your heart in the process of opening a wine bottle without a corkscrew. Check out how you can save yourself from doing that and also not use the ideal tool of a corkscrew:
1. Use screwdriver and hammer
Try to find a really long screwdriver or use the longest you have at home already. This method to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew is the safest but needs a lot of strength. You need to take a long screw and put it right into the cork until there is around one inch of the screw left to show. Now you need to take the backside of your hammer to lock it under the screw to pull out the cork.
Note: You might need a towel to wipe off the sweat from your forehead once you’re done! You do need a lot of strength and care for this one.
2. Push cork with a wooden spoon handle
You need something as blunt as a wooden spoon handle, if not the spoon itself, and also of its size. The method is safe compared to other things on the list but does have it’s share of drawbacks. For opening the bottle, you need to take the handle of a wooden spoon to push the cork down into the bottle.
Sadly, it is impossible to take out the cork from the bottle once you’ve push it inside. Also, if the wine bottle is old the cork might crumble and shed into the wine. You will definitely not want to have the wine after that. So, you should not try this method with old bottles and withered corks.
Also, you can only try this method when you plan to finish the bottle at one go. If you have friends sharing the bottle with you, only then can you use this method. Otherwise, you cannot lock the bottle and stack it for reuse.
Once you’re done with the method, you need to pour out the wine in another bottle in order to remove the cork. You wouldn’t want the cork to swim inside your drinkable wine for a long time, would you? If you don’t like this method, you can choose any other on the list – not everyone will want their corks to get drenched in their wine before they drink it themselves.
3. Pump out the cork
Pumping the cork out is pretty simple, you just need to take a bike pump that is attached with a needle and plunge it through the cork. It will penetrate right until the needle reaches the air between the wine and the cork. You can then pump air in the bottle and as you do, the cork will move due to the pressure you create.
4. Use keys or knife to twist it out
Twisting a cork out is similar to opening a wine bottle without a corkscrew and with a screwdriver instead. However, here you will either use your keys or a serrated knife or anything that works similarly.
You need to plunge the piece into the cork at a 45-degree angle and move the top of it in circles. You need to twist out the cork slowly and after a few rotations, the cork will come out. Ensure that the item in deep into the cork because it can crumble if it doesn’t. This will make you take resort to option number two or at least follow the steps that comes once that method is done.
5. Use the wall
Wrap the wine bottle with a towel and use a wall to smack out the cork. This method to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew might seem daunting but totally works if you handle with care.
We wouldn’t lie that this one is the most dangerous and you need to proceed with caution. You need to wrap the bottom of the bottle with a thick towel and bang the cork against the wall. In most obvious circumstances, the bottle can break so this should be the last option you try from this list.
Note: you will not be able to get the cork out at once. So, don’t put in all your strength but hit against the wall as many times you can.
6. Use heat
Although not most people will try this, we’d tell you that it really works. If you have a blowtorch at home, you can use the heat to apply it on the wine bottle and right below its cork. The heal will force the cork to move upwards and out of the bottle. You need to make sure that the bottle isn’t cold. A cold wine bottle can explode due to sudden change in temperature around. If you have a cold bottle right now, keep it outside and let it come down to normal temperature.
Different shapes of wine corks
Although corks seem pretty annoying when you’re trying to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew, this element has history. It is a versatile product used all across the world, and dates back to 3000 BC. Corks are believed to have originated from Egypt, China, Persia, and Babylon, and these were first used for fishing. The remains of artificers like shoes, cask stoppers, floats, roofing material were found in parts of Italy and date back to 400 BC.
Corks were used as bottle stopper since 1 BC by the Romans. At that time, these were made with wood. Its usage has evolved all through these years and now we greatly find corks for wine bottle. Check out the different forms of them as given below:
1. Natural and idea
The original cork stopper is made with single item of quality cork and is winemakers favorite. These are boiled down to specifically fit a certain kind of bottleneck that it will be used for. These stoppers help wine age and protect the texture and flavor. These help corks breathe and allows oxygen to interact with the wine and that helps to age wine.
2. Colmated corks
The Colmated stoppers are made of medium quality but processed much like the natural type. Most companies try and lock the pores of the item with a mix of cork dust, food resin and glue. These corks are visually appealing but cannot hold the wine for over two years. Manufacturers use these corks only for Fast Consumption Wines.
3. The twin top
Similar to colmated corks, the twin top stoppers aren’t made for aging wines. These are made of mixed pieces of corks and has a fresh disc of the cork on either end. It looks a lot of a bottle of champagne and is innovative. It gives you the advantages of a natural cork but for a limited period of time. These corks are perfect for fruit-based wines and add aesthetic appeal.
4. Champagne corks
Although these are not wine corks, champagne bottle stoppers are also a type of corks. These are created for sparkling wines and helps retain the gases in your drink. It keeps out the excess air and is tough to design.
The champagne stoppers are made of different kinds of material. These are larger than average corks and can keep out the gases and help the champagne age. They are manufactured with granules from a binder and there are 2-3 discs sealed at the bottom. The stopper is compressed to fit in the champagne bottle.
The corks look cylindrical and can be pulled out with bare hands. The mushroom shaped ones are the most famous and commonly used.
Note: these corks cannot be used once opened as they expand rapidly and lose their original shape.
5. Synthetic
The synthetic corks are a recent invention in the wine industry. These are produced out of synthetic and plastic material but offer a moderate quality of corks. They have a foam base helps the wine age but keeps all the flavors proper.
The external layer is antibacterial and doesn’t leak. They can seal the flavor, are easy to reinsert, and also maintain the shape. This happens because the foam in the middle of the stopper and it works much like memory foam, while the external layer is in shape.
6. Micro cork
Micro corks are called the next-gen cork stoppers. They are made of granulated ones of a certain quality and food safe glue. The micro ones are only used for Fast Consumption Wines. The difference is that these are more complex and made in exclusive barrels and often added with flavor. There is a different type of these corks and all originate from the agglomerated corks.
7. Agglomerated
The agglomerated corks are a lot like the micro corks due to their structure and they use big granules of cork. These are much in use as they are cheap to make have great shelf life. The stoppers are made of additives and granules like plastic binders. They are specifically produced for wine bottles that will be drunk within 5 to 6 months. The corks are durable, cheap, and can be used for around three years.
8. Conical
These stoppers are also called tapered corks as they are versatile and used in different bottles. The stoppers are made out of agglomerated or natural cork. They are made to reseal champagne bottles after old corks are taken out. But the bottles don’t seal in the flavor like the original one. Home breweries make use of these as they can lock bottles without risk of breaking glass bottles.
9. Bartop corks
You also get bar-top bottle stoppers that are versatile and available in different shapes. These are produced with synthetic or natural corks. These ones are glued to either a piece of wooden or plastic top. They are easy to open, store, and add aesthetic appeal.
You can use these stoppers with wine, oil, vinegar, spices, and cosmetics. The bar tops come with metal tops, ceramic tops, and stone tops. They get their name as they are usually available in bars as they need to be reopened every time.
There are different cork producing companies that accept custom orders to create such stoppers. These are widely found and cheap to buy. You might also find online stores selling handmade corks.
Final thoughts
Now you know all about corks and also how to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew. It is time you add different sizes, shapes, and kinds of wine to your refrigerator and find out what kind of corks they come with. Also, try the methods given above if you don’t like using a corkscrew or haven’t bought the perfect one yet.
