How To Open A Wine Bottle Without A Corkscrew

You’ve got your favorite bottle of wine and pulled out a glass to pour yourself some. But when you look out for a corkscrew, you can’t find one. In situations like these, you need to have some tricks up your sleeve. There are ample other ways you can easily pop open a wine bottle, all with the help of tools that are lying around the house. Let’s dive in and check out how to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew.

Ways To Open A Wine Bottle Without A Corkscrew

1. Pushing The Cork Into The Bottle
2. Using A Knife
3. Using A Shoe
4. Using Paper Clips

1. Pushing The Cork Into The Bottle

One simple way to open your wine bottle without a corkscrew is by pushing the cork into the bottle using a blunt object. This can be any object lying around the house that has blunt ends and will not shatter or break the bottle or stab, chip, or break the cork. Using the back of a spoon, a marker, or even a chapstick works in this case. 

1. Use the blunt ends of any of these objects and push the cork inside of the bottle very gently. You need to be careful and hold the bottle tight but gently. You don’t want to put too much pressure on the bottle as it may shatter from the pressure.
2. If you need more support for the bottle, you can rest it on a counter or a table. Once the cork starts moving, you apply some more pressure and slide it into the bottle completely.
3. The cork is now inside the bottle and you’re free to enjoy your bottle of wine.

When doing this, remember that the cork will remain floating around in the bottle. So we recommend you find another way to close the bottle clamp and finish off the wine soon!

Also read: 7 Best Sparkling Wine Cocktail Recipes

2. Using A Knife

Using a paring or a pocket knife is your best bet with this trick. These knives are going to easily fit into the neck of the wine bottle and grip the cork. That’s exactly what you want to do as you move slowly around the edges to remove the cork. 

1. Apply some downward pressure on the knife, and push it slowly inside the cork. You need to be careful as you hold your other hand on the neck of the wine bottle to give some support.
2. Once the knife is inserted into the cork, with some back-and-forth movements, slowly pull the cork out. This step needs to be done slowly and patiently. If you’re too fast, the knife will come off and the cork will stay in its place.
3. You’ll see the cork coming out slowly. Once you have enough space to grip the cork, use your fingers and pull it.

Also read: 7 Expensive Wines In India

3. Using A Shoe

This one is definitely a trick that raises some eyebrows in the room for how weird it sounds. But, trust us, this one works just fine. All you need is a shoe with a good, hard sole and your bottle of wine. You can’t use shoes with high heels or ones with a super flat base. Using a running or a combat shoe works best as it has more support and cushioning to protect your bottle.

1. Place the bottle of wine in the opening of your shoe such that the base of the bottle is inside and the cork is facing you.
2. Holding the bottle in one of your hands and the shoe in another, gently hit the sole of the shoe against a wall.
3. Continue this step a few more times until you see the cork coming out little by little.
4. Once the cork is halfway through the top, pull it out with your fingers, and your bottle is open!
5. You can also use a towel to grip the bottle in case you’re scared that it will slip off and fall. The shoe prevents your bottle from shattering and gives it good support as well.

Also read: Beginner’s Guide To Different Types Of Wine Glasses

4. Using Paper Clips

The next most intriguing way to open your wine bottle without a corkscrew is by using paper clips. It’s a simple trick that needs no more than 3 to 4 minutes to open a wine bottle.

1. You need to partially straighten two paper clips in the middle section without straightening the U shapes on either end.
2. Use one clip and slide it inside the bottle between the cork and the side of the bottle. The U shape needs to be below the cork. Since the clips are tiny, they don’t need much space to slide in. 
3. Insert the second clip on the opposite side of the first clip.
4. Rotate the U shape beneath the cork such that when you pull out the paper clips, the U section pulls out the cork.
5. Tie the U shapes that are on the outside together with a string and gently pull the string toward you. Twist and turn as you pull the cork out so that it comes off slowly without cracking the bottle.
6. Once the cork is halfway out, you can pull it out with your fingers. 

Also read: 8 Of The Best And Affordable Port Wines In India

Summing Up

These are some of the ways you can use household tools to open up a bottle of wine without a corkscrew. These are not conventional ways but are surely effective tricks that come in handy in times of need. So make sure you try out at least one of these tricks to see for yourself if it works or not. 

FAQs

How Do I Open A Bottle Of Wine Without A Corkscrew?

Opening a wine bottle without a corkscrew may seem like a difficult task. One simple way to do so is by pushing the cork inside the bottle using a knife. It’s an easy one that takes no longer than 2 minutes. 

Can I Open A Bottle Of Wine With A Lighter?

Yes, you can open a bottle of wine with a lighter. But this is a tricky one and doesn’t always work in the most effective way. The trick is to heat the air beneath the cork. The air expands upon heating and pushes the cork out of the bottle. 

Can You Open A Wine Bottle With Scissors?

Yes, you can open a wine bottle with a pair of scissors. Stabbing one side of the scissors in the cork, and pulling it out using a circular motion is going to be the way to do it. This takes a bit of time but works rather well.

What Can I Use Instead Of A Corkscrew?

If you don’t have a corkscrew in your kitchen, you can use a knife, a pair of scissors, or even your shoe to open up a bottle of wine.

Can You Open A Wine Bottle With A Hair Straightener?

Using a hair straightener to open up a bottle of wine is not a good idea. This is because you should not use direct heat on the bottle of wine.

How Do You Get A Cork Out Of A Wine Bottle?

This is a tricky one as the neck of the wine bottle is narrow and the cork won’t come out easily. One thing you could try is to heat up the neck of the bottle using a lighter. The glass expands a little when heated and there’s a chance that the cork may come out. 

How Do You Open A Wine Bottle With A Key?

Opening a wine bottle with a key seems to be a tedious job. Most keys you find have a blunt end and using a blunt end to poke the cork is not the most effective way to open it. So, using a key to open a wine bottle is not the best idea.