Let me just be straight with you, I love a good bottle of wine. Who doesn't? Even if you're not inclined to imbibe, a wine bottle makes for pretty much the easiest hostess gift ever. And if you are fond of the vino? All the better.
There's just one time when a bottle of wine causes a problem. I'm talking about when you grab a bottle for a party, only to realize there's no corkscrew in sight. Unless you have gotten one with a screw top (bless the person who created that pairing), you're pretty much out of luck, right?
Wrong! There are a good half dozen ways to open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew.
Bonus? They make for pretty awesome party tricks even when you do have a corkscrew handy!
So let's dive in, shall we? Are you brave enough to try number four?
Image via sh4rp_i/Flickr
7 Ways to Open a Wine Bottle Without a Corkscrew
Opening a Wine Bottle With a Hammer and Screw
A corkscrew is basically a long metal helix, or screw, with a vertical pull that yanks that screw out, and the cork along with it.
So it only stands to reason that a real screw would do the same trick! Grab a screw driver, and drive it into the cork until it's about 3/4 of the way in, taking care not to crack the cork.
Then use the claw part of a hammer to work the screw — and cork — out.
Opening a Wine Bottle ... With a Shoe!
I know, it sounds crazy, but a shoe makes for a handy corkscrew replacement. I've seen it firsthand! A friend's husband wanted to show off, so he asked my husband for his dress shoe and got to work.
What you do is take the bottle and place the bottom in the well of the shoe (where you'd normally place your foot). It's best to use a flat shoe, like the ones above, rather than a high heel. You want the bottle to sit flat in the shoe.
Next, hold the bottle in one hand, the shoe in the other, and bang the shoe's heel on a wall or other hard surface — my friend used a tree as we were outside — until the cork pops out.
Opening a Wine Bottle With a Kitchen Towel
This trick is very similiar to the shoe, only a little less stinky (hopefully). Wrap your kitchen towel around the base of your wine bottle and hit base against a hard surface, such as a wall. The towel should protect the glass, while the pressure will force the cork out of the bottle.
Opening a Wine Bottle With a Torch
I'm not going to say this is a smart way to open a wine bottle or even a safe one, but from the number of YouTube videos out there showing it can be done, it seems legit.
Light your torch and point the heat at the neck of the bottle, just below the cork. As the glass heats up, it SHOULD force the cork up … and out.
Opening a Wine Bottle With a Pair of Pliers
Drive a screw about 3/4s of the way into a cork, and then use a pair of pliers to pull the screw — and the cork — out of the bottle. I've seen this one done, and yup, it works!
Opening a Wine Bottle With a Piece of String
This method looks like it would make for a cool party trick, but I'll admit I haven't tried it … it looks too hard!
Basically, you bang the cork down into the bottle, then tie a figure 8 knot in one end of some stiff string. Using a pen or slim screwdriver, push the string (knot end first) down the side of the cork until the knot falls below the cork. Pull up on the string, and the cork should come too.
Opening a Wine Bottle With a Screwdriver
No screws necessary — just use the handle end of a slim screwdriver to bang the cork down into the wine. Hey, no one ever said the cork had to come OUT!
