How to Open a Wine Bottle

Opening a wine bottle sealed with a cork is simple in concept, but in reality, it takes a bit of skill and a good deal of patience. With a little practice, opening a wine bottle will be an easy task.

A good corkscrew is necessary to remove a wine cork quickly and easily. The fancy ones are nice, but you really don't need anything more than a sturdy t-shaped corkscrew. If you prefer to use less muscle, a double-lever corkscrew will save you tons of time and effort. Either of these will cost less than $10.

Remove the wine bottle's foil wrap, either with a knife or foil-cutter (some corkscrews will have this feature). Remove the cut foil and place the wine bottle on a sturdy, flat surface.

If using a T-shaped corkscrew, place the end of the screw on the top of the cork, making sure it's as close to center as possible. Hold the bottle firmly while you add pressure and twist the screw into the center of the cork, making sure the screw stays centered. Twist until most of the corkscrew is inside the cork. Then, hold the bottle with one hand while gently, but firmly pulling the corkscrew out with the other.

If using a double-lever corkscrew, place the ring at the bottom of the corkscrew over the mouth of the wine bottle. This will help keep the screw centered as you twist. Keep one hand on the ring over the bottle mouth, and twist the •head' of the screw with the other hand, adding pressure so that it goes into the cork. As the screw enters, the levers go up. Twist until most of the screw is inside the cork. Then, using both hands, push the levers down. This forces most or all of the cork out of the bottle. If there's still a little cork in the bottle, hold it firmly while easing the cork the rest of the way out by gently using a side to side motion while pulling.

With a little practice, opening a wine bottle will be an easy task