Practical Tips

How to open a bottle of wine

Parts of a wine key
Let me start by introducing you to the different parts of the wine key. There is the knife, which we use to remove the foil around the top of the bottle. This is the corkscrew, which we turn into the cork. And there is the lever, which we will use to help extract the cork from the bottle.

Prepare the wine bottle
The first step is to remove the foil from the top of the bottle. Use the knife to cut around the top. Now, twist the corkscrew firmly into the center of the cork. When the corkscrew is in deep enough, hook the claw on the side of the bottle.

Open the wine bottle
Now you can lift up on the other end of the wine key, and using leverage, the cork should come right out. If everything goes smoothly the cork should come out with a satisfying pop and in one piece.

Cork troubleshooting
If some pieces of cork break off into the wine, you can still drink it. Simple pour the bottle through a strainer and enjoy the wine from a decanter.

Serving wine
For many wines, it is a good idea to open them a little while before you plan to serve them to give it an opportunity to breath. And finally, pour the wine into a glass and enjoy.

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