How To Open a Bottle Of Wine

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Opening a bottle of wine isn't hard—which is why not being able to accomplish it is particularly embarrassing. Don't worry—with a little practice you'll be liberating the fruit of the vine in a few fluid motions.

Step 1: Cut metallic foil
Cut the metallic foil or plastic wrapper covering the cork, using the bottle's lower lip as a guide. Press the blade against the foil wrapper, and score all the way around the bottle's circumference.

Tip
Be sure to remove the foil from the lip of the bottle—it can ruin the taste if the wine comes in contact with it when poured.

Step 2: Place bottle upright
Place the bottle upright on a flat surface, or hold it between your knees slightly angled toward you at a comfortable height.

Step 3: Screw into cork
Dig the tip of the corkscrew into the middle of the cork, keeping it as straight as possible. With an even, downward pressure, rotate the screw clockwise until it disappears almost entirely into the cork.

Step 4: Grip with lever
Pivot the metal lever of the corkscrew so that the forked indentation grips the edge of the bottle's mouth and the corkscrew's handle is pointed down.

Step 5: Pull up
Holding the bottle firmly in place, grasp the handle and pull it straight up. The cork should come completely out.

Tip
Specialty wine openers, like the wing- or lever-style kind, require less effort to remove the cork. Just insert or clamp and then push the wings or lever down.

Step 6: Wipe the rim
Wipe the rim of the bottle with a clean, slightly damp napkin to remove any cork dust or residue before pouring. Salut!

Did You Know?
The first corkscrew was patented in 1795 by an English minister.