Foolproof way to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew?
Long story short, my partner and I have a really nice bottle of wine (it was a gift we’ve been saving for a special occasion). We’re trying to celebrate, but we don’t have a bottle opener or corkscrew! I really don’t want to break the bottle or damage the cork. Does anyone have any ideas?
Just push the cork through and filter out the sediment with a coffee filter. It'll change the texture of the wine a little bit, but it's very easy to do and the wine should still be very drinkable and enjoyable.
If you have a drill or a screwdriver and a long screw, you can drive the screw through the center of the cork. Just make sure that you leave a little bit of the screw sticking out of the top. Then, grab a wrench or some pliers and gently try to work the cork out by tugging on it.
I know you said you don’t have a corkscrew, but do you have a Swiss army knife somewhere? The corkscrew is a classic inclusion for Swiss army knives and I feel like most households have one sitting around somewhere.
You have to be super careful, but if you have a thin knife you can use that to work a cork out. Try inserting the knife at an angle into the cork. When you hit the inside of the glass bottle, gently pry the cork upwards as far as you can. Remove the knife, rotate the bottle 90 degrees, and try again. Keep doing this until you’ve pried up enough of the cork to remove it by hand.
Okay, this one sounds kind of wild but it 100% works. Stick the tip of a butter knife into the top of the cork. Slide a fork around the knife at the base where it’s inserted into the cork (so, picture the tines of the fork around the side of the knife). Rotate the fork slowly while applying gentle pressure to the knife handle. The cork will unscrew slowly just like it would with a wine key!
There’s a hack where you wrap a shirt or towel around the bottom of the wine bottle or you can put the bottle in a shoe. Then, gently bang the towel-wrapped bottle or shoe against a tree or some other flat surface. I’ve only seen it work if you go really slowly and don’t hit the bottle very hard. If you hit it too hard, you'll end up shattering the bottle so be careful!
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Reader Tips from 8 Awesome Ways to Open a Bottle of Wine without Using a Corkscrew
Depending on how well the wine was kept, the cork could be dry and could fall apart into the wine. Proceed with caution to ensure that the cork remains intact.
All of these methods take some time and effort. If you have easy access to a store, you may be better off simply buying a corkscrew.
Point the bottle away from you when pushing the cork in to avoid getting sprayed.
Try using a corn cob holder to open a wine bottle with a spongy foam cork.
Reader Tips from 6 Ways to Open a Wine Bottle
If you have an older wine with a lot of sediment, keep it stored on its side. When you’re ready to drink it, put it in a cradle that holds it at an angle. Remove the cork while at this angle, then carefully decant it.
To store wine after opening it, place the cork back into the bottle with the stained side face down. Or, seal the bottle with a wine stopper. Then, set the bottle upright in your fridge.
Reader Tips from How to Open a Wine Bottle with a Shoe
You can also open a wine bottle with a sharp knife if you don't have a shoe to use or don't have the right type of shoe. I always carry a Swiss army knife with me and it has helped me open wine bottles more than once!
I've tried this with a ballet flat and I've tried it with my husband's dress shoes and it works way better with dress shoes, 100%.
