Opening wine when you have no corkscrew

You have chosen a bottle and are ready to share it, then discover that the corkscrew is missing. The best solution is to borrow or buy a proper opener before serving the wine.

Start with the closure

Check whether the bottle actually has a cork or a screw cap. A screw cap does not need a corkscrew. A sparkling-wine closure is different again: keep the bottle chilled, control the cork and point it away from people.

Why improvised methods are unreliable

Online suggestions often involve screws, knives, scissors, shoes, keys or heating the neck of the bottle. These can break the glass, cause an injury or leave pieces of cork in the wine. The earlier version of this article listed several of those tricks; they should not be mistaken for a safe substitute for an opener.

Do not strike or heat the bottle. If the glass is damaged, do not serve the contents. A few minutes spent finding a suitable opener is preferable to losing the bottle or hurting someone.

Keep a small serving kit

A reliable corkscrew, a clean cloth and appropriate glasses are useful basics. Store an opener where you normally serve wine, and put one in your picnic kit when taking a cork-sealed bottle outdoors.

At the winery we value the whole experience, including opening and serving the bottle with care. The right tool helps keep the cork intact and makes that first glass easier to enjoy.