How to Open a Bottle of Wine With a Corkscrew

Opening a bottle of wine requires a few simple steps.

1. 1. Choose your wine opener. The best and safest way to open a wine bottle is with a winged corkscrew or wine key. Corkscrews come in two basic types: winged corkscrews and wine keys (also called a waiter’s corkscrew). Winged corkscrews tend to be easier to use, so choose this type of corkscrew if you’re a novice at opening wine.
2. 2. Remove the top of the foil. Use a serrated knife or the knife on your wine key to pierce the foil at the top of the wine bottle, cutting along the lower lip of the wine bottle to make it easier to remove.
3. 3. Insert the corkscrew into the center of the cork. Plunge the sharp part of the corkscrew—also called the “worm”—directly into the center of the cork. Keep twisting the corkscrew and apply a little pressure to submerge it all the way down into the cork. The levers, or “wings,” on your winged corkscrew should be raised up.
4. 4. Remove the cork. With the base of the bottle resting on a secure surface like a sturdy table or countertop, press down on the wings of the corkscrew to lift the cork out of the bottle. Wiggle the cork out of the neck of the bottle. If you’re using a wine key, rest the notched lever on the lip of the wine bottle and use leverage to pry the cork out of the bottle. If the cork breaks, pieces of cork may be present in the wine. A crumbling cork sometimes indicates poor-quality wine but does not pose a health hazard.
5. 5. Pour a glass of wine. Wine aromas will waft up from the open bottle. The lip of the bottle may be moist and fragrant from the wine as well. As you pour a glass of wine, you may notice crystals or sediment in the liquid. Wine sediment can naturally form during the fermentation process and is not harmful. Transfer red wine into a decanter and serve, or keep your bottle of white wine chilled in a bucket of ice. You can plug a bottle of wine with a wine stopper, but keep in mind that opened wine only keeps for a few days when stored properly.

With sparkling wine, it’s important to hold the bottle away from you at a 45-degree angle to avoid injury from a popped cork. Much like a bottle of wine with a screw cap, you don’t need a wine opener to open a bottle of sparkling wine. Simply remove the foil and wire cage, point the bottle away from you, and pull the cork out.

There’s more than one way to open a wine bottle, and you don’t necessarily need special gadgets or hacks. If you don’t have a wine key on hand, use a screwdriver to insert a long screw into the cork, leaving one inch of the screw visible; take the backside of the hammer, lock it directly under the screw, and pry out the cork. This method requires a little elbow grease.

You can also open a wine bottle with pliers. First, use a knife to make two small incisions opposite each other on the cork. Then, take your pair of pliers and affix them to the cut areas. Pull the cork out of the neck of the bottle with the pliers.

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