This week on the Ideal Wine Company blog we want to go back to basics, and let you know how to use a corkscrew to open a bottle of wine.
Corkscrews… Frustrating for Even the Most Experienced Wine Enthusiast
You would think that this would be child’s play, but you’d actually be surprised how often people struggle with opening a bottle of wine with a corkscrew. With a classic winged corkscrew (let’s not even get into key corkscrews), people often screw it into the side, meaning they only end up pulling out half of the cork.
This causes the cork to break apart. Whilst this may not be seen as a problem by most people, we certainly see it as a problem here at the Ideal Wine Company. After all, a piece of stray cork floating around in a bottle of fine wine has the potential to damage the effect that wine has, as its dances on your palette and releases a heady array of delicate flavours.
Use These Instructions to Open a Bottle of Wine with a Cork Screw
The thing is that the normal failsafe, simply buying a bottle with a screw top, is often not an option for fine wines. They tend to favour corks (for a multitude of reasons including tradition and quality). Therefore it’s useful to know how to open a bottle of wine using a corkscrew, which you can do with the following instructions.
- Be Firm: Begin by taking the cork screw and placing it vertically on top of the bottle of wine. Whilst doing this, you need to make sure it’s perpendicular to the base of the cork. Remember to place it as close to the centre of the cork as you can.
- Twist: Once you’ve made sure it’s perpendicular to the cork, twist the screw slowly and gently, applying light pressure. Make sure that the angle of the screw is still at 90 degrees to the cork.
- Stop: Keep twisting gently, remembering to stay at a 90 degree angle until the cork covers the twisted part of the screw. At that point, you stop.
- Push: From there, gently push the wings down and make sure that they are firmly compressed.
- Pull: Now we’re at the crucial point, it’s time to pull. When pulling the cork out of the bottle, always remember to go at a steady pace, as this is the point where you are in most danger of the cork breaking off into the bottle. Whilst you do, hold the bottle in your other hand and pull gently away from your body to ensure a smooth transition.
Enjoy All the Benefits Your Luxury Vintage has to Offer
It may sound like common sense, but once again, you’d be surprise how many people get this wrong. Don’t be one of those people, and follow this guide rom the Ideal Wine Company on how to use a cork screw, to ensure that you are able to fully enjoy all the benefits your luxury vintage has to offer.
