How to Use Basic Wine Openers

Most people have not learned to use a corkscrew, and that’s understandable. Unless you had to for a living, who wants to bother? There are so many wine-opening device options now, including ones that make opening a bottle easier if you have weak or arthritic hands. We share how to use several so you can make an informed shopping choice.

Fun Fact: 14 muscles are used in opening a bottle of wine!

Waiter’s Corkscrew:

How to use a Waiter’s Corkscrew:

• Remove the foil off the neck of the wine. 
• Open the foil cutter blade and slice around the lip of the bottle, then make a slice across the top. Pick at the foil and remove to expose the cork. Close the blade when done.
• Next, spread open the handle and the step levers away from the screw. Position the tip of the screw spiral in the middle of the cork, and while holding the bottle in one hand, position the screw into the center of the cork.
• Apply downward pressure and try to go straight down the center.  It’s ok if the structure of the cork makes you veer off a bit.  If you need to, feel free to re-start to make the screw stay in the center as much as possible. 
• Drill into the cork, leaving one curl of the screw remaining.  This reduces the chance of poking through the bottom, crumbling pieces of cork into the wine.
• Next, bring the side with the step levers down and position it on the lip of the bottle. This is your leverage to then pull the cork out of the bottle. With the double step, place the higher step lever on the bottle rim first, then pull upwards with the handle.  Pull as far as you can, then reposition to the lower step lever to finish removing the cork. 

Here’s a helpful video to view the process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12u5wtIOpUc

Basic Pocket Corkscrew

Pocket corkscrews have a compact size that’s also perfect for carrying in apron or pants pockets. Many pocket corkscrews include a sheath to keep the corkscrew from poking through fabric or pockets. This sheath is also often used to create a “T” shaped crossbar that provides leverage to twist the screw into the cork and remove the cork.  Pocket corkscrews don’t have the lever of a waiter’s cork screw to help leverage the cork out. 

How to use a pocket corkscrew:

•     Start by cutting the foil under the lip of the bottle
•     Remove the pocket corkscrew sheath and slide it into the opening at the base of the corkscrew
•     Insert the corkscrew into the cork and turn until it is fully inserted into the cork
•     Pull outwards on the handle to remove the cork
•     To remove the cork from the screw, reverse the corkscrew motion while holding onto the cork

3. Wing Corkscrews

Wing, or winged, corkscrews are a great choice for synthetic cork removal because they provide additional leverage to move those hard-to-budge corks. Wing corkscrews are not the best choice for opening vintage wines or wines with natural, brittle corks as they can leave cork crumbs behind. With a small size and easy-to-use design, these corkscrews are good for those with limited hand strength

How to use a wing corkscrew:

•     Start by removing the foil to expose the cork
•     Remove the foil and insert the screw into the center of the cork
•     Twist the corkscrew lever to insert the screw into the cork. Continue twisting until the wings rise all the way up
•     Once the wings have risen, push down on them simultaneously to pull the cork out of the bottle
•     To remove the cork from the corkscrew simply turn the handle counterclockwise

4. Electric Corkscrews

Electric corkscrews are the easiest way to open wine bottles. Their simple push-button operation makes it possible for anyone to open a bottle of wine and are ideal for anyone with arthritis or minimal hand strength.

How to use an electric corkscrew:

    Start by cutting the foil under the lip of the bottle

•     Place the electric corkscrew on top of the wine bottleneck. Be sure to keep the corkscrew vertical
•     Turn the corkscrew on and it will automatically insert the screw and remove the cork
•     Remove the corkscrew from the top of the bottle once corkscrew has removed the cork
•     Reverse the corkscrew motion to remove the cork from the screw

5. Lever Corkscrews

Lever corkscrews are quickly gaining popularity thanks to their ease of use. Most lever corkscrews only require two motions, one forward motion in which the screw is inserted into the cork and another that gently pulls the cork from the bottle. The real benefit of using a lever corkscrew is the amount of control they provide as the handle firmly holds the neck of the bottle while the corkscrew is in use.

How to use a lever corkscrew:

•     Remove the foil from the bottle neck
•    With the lever in the up position, place the corkscrew on top of the wine bottle
•     Push the lever down to insert the screw into the cork
•     Once the lever is all the way down, pull the handle back up to remove the cork from the wine bottle
•     To remove the cork from the screw, lift the corkscrew off the bottle and flip the handle up and down a few times

6. Prong-style Extractors, or “Ah So’s”

Wine cork extractors have two prongs that slide down between the wine bottle and cork to remove the cork from the bottle without piercing the cork. These seldom break a cork like a screw can, so they are great when you have a vintage or crumbly cork, or a cork that has broken. However, they are difficult to use with synthetic corks. Due to their small size, these extractors are also portable and useful for picnics and beverage servers.

How to use an Ah so wine cork extractor:

•     Remove the foil from the top of the bottle
•     Firmly holding the neck of the bottle, insert the longer of the extractor prongs between the cork and the inside of the bottle neck, then the other end
•     Use a rocking motion to slide and push the two prongs down between the cork and the sides of bottle neck while applying light downward force with the handle and holding the bottle firmly in the other hand
•     Once fully inserted, twist the extractor and pull upward to remove the cork
•     To remove the cork from the extractor simply slide it out from between the prongs.

7. Wall Mount Corkscrews

Wall mount corkscrews mount to a beam or wall for optimal stability and security when removing wine corks. Wall mount corkscrews can be set for different penetration depths. This is useful for partial wine cork extraction at banquet room functions where the wine will be placed on the tables before the event begins. These corkscrews are great for back-of-house use or when opening many bottles at a time.

How to use a wall mount corkscrew:

•     Start by cutting the foil under the lip of the bottle (no need to remove the foil entirely)
•     Insert the neck of the wine bottle into the cradle
•     Pull down on the handle to insert the corkscrew
•     Return the handle to the starting position to pull the cork out
•     Once the bottle is removed from the cradle the cork will fall to the floor

8. Counter Mount Corkscrews

Counter mount corkscrews can be attached to a table or counter for sturdiness and support. Counter mount corkscrews provide additional torque and can open bottles faster and with less effort than many other types of corkscrews. Therefore, this style of corkscrew is ideal for high-volume use.

How to use a counter mount corkscrew:

•     Start by cutting the foil under the lip of the bottle
•     Insert the wine bottle in the corkscrew
•     Pull down on the handle to insert the corkscrew screw
•     Release the handle to uncork the wine bottle
•     Return the handle to the up position and the cork will fall off the screw

9. Continuous Pull Corkscrews

Continuous pull corkscrews work using a twist motion to drive the screw into the cork. Additionally, the sides of the continuous pull corkscrew sit on the sit on the neck of the bottle, and many styles have hinges on the handles so you can squeeze them around the bottles neck to get a better grip.

How to use a continuous pull corkscrew:

•     Start by cutting the foil under the lip of the bottle
•     Place the base of the corkscrew over the top of your wine bottle
•     Turn the handle clockwise to insert the screw into the cork
•     As the screw screws into the cork, slide the sides over the neck of the bottle for a better grip
•     Continue turning the handle clockwise until the cork is fully extracted
•     To remove the cork from the corkscrew simply turn the handle counterclockwise

 10. The Non Corkscrew:  The Coravin Wine Preserver

What if you only want a glass or a small taste of a wine that you don’t want to fully expose to air?   The Coravin lets you enjoy your favorite wines without pulling the cork out, allowing you to preserve still wines for weeks, months or even years. The device has a long narrow needle that inserts into a cork and is wide enough to let wine pour out but narrow enough that when you remove the needle, natural wine cork will fill back into the narrow void, sealing the wine. The other component of a Coravin is the Argon gas capsule that attaches to the device, which clear out air to preserve the life and flavor of the wine. This is a pricey device, but the people buying this probably are serving very expensive wines.

How to use a Coravin

• Remove the foil from the top of the bottle
• Attach the Coravin to your bottle of wine, positioning the clamps around the bottle neck, and the tip of the needle over the cork.
• Press the top trigger near the top handle to expel any air in the Coravin
• Press the handle, pushing the needle all the way into the cork
• Holding the bottle in one hand and the top handle with the other, tip the wine so that the needle is over your glass
• Push the trigger near the handle on the Coravin to release the amount of wine you want.
• To remove the Coravin from the bottle, pull the handle up to remove the needle.  Then take it off the bottle by squeezing the clamps.  
• Tip the bottle to bring wine into the cork, to help seal the cork.

Here’s a good demonstration video from the makers of Coravin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGQdEOf6frw