How to open a bottle of wine

Open a bottle of winetips to make it child's play! Opening a bottle of wine can be a complex task, depending on the utensils at your disposal. Here we detail the procedures you need to follow to enjoy your wine in all circumstances.

How to open a bottle of wine with a corkscrew?

Using a sommelier's corkscrew

Also known as a "sommelier's knife". Start by removing the bottle's protective cap (capsule de surbouchage) with the blade of your sommelier's corkscrew. The cut must be made low enough so that the wine does not come into contact with the metal part of the capsule. During this stage, the knife must revolve around the bottle, not the other way round. The bottle itself remains static, with the label facing the guests. Take your time to get a clean cut that doesn't damage the rest of the packaging. 
 Once the cap has been removed, place the corkscrew screw in the center of the cork and rotate the bottle so that the screw penetrates all the way through. Now place the first support notch on the rim of the bottle. Use the hand not holding the bottle to extract the cork, while the other hand holds it firmly. Then place the second notch on the rim of the neck and repeat the operation.

Using a lever corkscrew

Remove the protective cap with a sharp kitchen knife (lever corkscrews are generally not equipped with a knife). 
Place the metal ring of the corkscrew against the top of the bottle. The wings should be lowered to the level of the neck. Turn the lever to press the screw into the cork, until the wings are fully raised. Then press both wings together to remove the cork. 
To remove the cork from the corkscrew, simply turn the handle anti-clockwise. 
It should be noted that lever corkscrews are not recommended for opening bottles of vintage wine, as they can leave cork residue in the neck. For these fine wines, prefer a sommelier's corkscrew.

How to open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew?

Use a lighter

You're probably wondering how to open a bottle with a lighter; it hardly seems feasible. But here's how: 
Place your lighted lighter on the neck of the bottle, just below the cork. The heat will expand the air and eject the cork. Be careful not to stand in front of one of your guests if you don't want to end up in the emergency room! Avoid standing close to knick-knacks or lamps that are important to you.

Use a sharp knife

As if you were using a screwdriver, insert the knife at an angle into the cork, then pull, turning the bottle slightly on itself. It's a delicate operation, as you don't want to damage the cork, but it's not really complicated if you don't rush.

Use screws, screwdrivers and pliers

All you have to do is stick a screw, or better still, three screws in a row, into the cork and drive them in with a screwdriver. Be careful not to push them in too far, as you won't have enough surface area to grip them with the pliers. You'd also risk damaging the cork and dropping pieces of cork into the bottle. Note that you can also replace the screws with nails and proceed in the same way.

Use a key

If you don't have a knife or toolbox handy, you may have a wrench. You'll use the same technique as with a knife, slightly rotating the bottle. This time, however, the wrench must be inserted diagonally (at around 45 degrees) into the cork.

Using a shoe

There are two possible techniques. The first is to place the bottle between your legs and grasp a shoe whose heel you strike against the underside of the bottle. The pressure will push the cork out the other side. 
The second technique is to place the bottle in the shoe at heel level, then strike the shoe against a wall or other rigid surface. 
In both cases, the cork will come out gradually. Be careful, however, not to tap too hard, as this may break the bottle. The disadvantage of this technique is that the wine will be shaken, which is never a good thing. In addition, you run the risk of spilling a large part of the wine if, by tapping hard, the cork is quickly ejected.

Push in the cap

If you don't have a tool for removing the cork, you can push it into the neck so that the wine can flow out of the bottle. Take an object with a diameter smaller than that of the neck and of sufficient length. You can use a metal pen, the handle of a knife or the blades of a pair of scissors. 
Press the cork down hard enough to allow it to slide into the bottle. Be careful, however, not to splash everything: with the draft, the wine is likely to spurt out as the cork enters the bottle. For this operation, it's best to stand over a sink.