Food Shopping and Storing Beverages How to Open a Wine Bottle With a Corkscrew You'll want to familiarize yourself with these foolproof methods for opening a bottle of wine. By Lisa Milbrand Lisa Milbrand Lisa Milbrand has more than 20 years of experience as a lifestyle writer and editor, writing thousands of articles on topics that help people live better and healthier lives for Real Simple, Parents, and dozens of other top publications. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 28, 2024 Project Overview Working Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 5 minutes After picking the right wine for the occasion comes the challenge of opening the bottle. Some of us have been spoiled by twist-top wine bottles and ordering wine at bars or restaurants (where bottles are conveniently opened for us), so when faced with a corked bottle of wine, we're at a loss. Fortunately, learning how to open a wine bottle with a corkscrew is incredibly easy. As long as you have a waiter's corkscrew (aka a wine or server's key) or a winged corkscrew—and our handy how-to guide—you'll be pouring your favorite white or red wine in a flash. What You'll Need Equipment / Tools Wine Key Small, sharp knife Wine key (sometimes called a waiter's corkscrew or server's key) Winged corkscrew Materials Wine bottle Instructions How to Open a Wine Bottle With a Wine Key Getty Images Remove Foil Seal Place a knife under the lip of the wine bottle and turn to remove the foil. (You may also need to make a vertical cut to remove it cleanly.) Don't have a knife (or a wine foil cutter)? Some wine bottles have a small tab you can pull to open the foil, or you can try holding the bottle in one hand and twisting the foil seal with the other as you pull it away. Set Up Wine Key Position the wine key in the center of the cork and twist clockwise. Be very careful to place the corkscrew as close to the center of the cork as possible to avoid potentially breaking the cork off into the wine. Pull the Cork Halfway Out Place the first step of the wine key (waiter's corkscrew) onto the lip of the bottle, then lift the handle until the cork is pulled halfway out of the bottle. Don't continue lifting or pulling at this point. Use the Second Corkscrew Step Place the second step of the waiter's corkscrew onto the lip of the bottle and repeat the same motion. Lift and pull the handle until the cork is almost—but not entirely—out. Remove the Cork Use your hand to pull the cork completely out of the wine bottle. Hold onto the cork if you don't have a wine stopper. The wine cork can be put back into place to help preserve the rest of the wine. Keep in mind that an open bottle of wine only lasts three to five days in the fridge before starting to oxidize. How to Open a Wine Bottle With a Winged Corkscrew Getty Images Remove Foil Seal Press a knife to the foil under the wine bottle's lip and turn the bottle to remove the foil seal. You can also cut the foil vertically to help it come off. Skip this step if the wine bottle has an easy-to-open tab. Insert Corkscrew Place the winged corkscrew into the center of the cork. Twist the top to insert it further into the cork. As you do this, the wings of the corkscrew will raise until they are almost touching. Press Down Once the corkscrew is secure in the cork, press down with both hands on the levers (or "wings") of the corkscrew. This action pushes the corkscrew down, helping the cork slide up. If necessary, repeat these steps by twisting the corkscrew further in and pressing down again. Pull Cork Out Remove the cork by pulling the corkscrew out while holding the wine bottle with one hand. You may need to wiggle the cork or corkscrew to help it slide out. How to Open a Bottle of Wine Without an Opener Opening a bottle of wine without a corkscrew can be a trickier proposition. You'll see a lot of social media tips on using other tools you have on hand—such as opening a bottle of wine with a knife (which seems pretty dangerous) and using a shoe to open a bottle of wine (which seems hazardous to both your wine and your shoe). These two options are most often recommended if you have a lovely bottle of wine and no corkscrew to be found. Push the wine cork in. Instead of pulling the cork out, use a blunt instrument (like the end of a wooden spoon) to push the cork in. It may leave some cork pieces in your wine, but it's a safer option than other suggestions.Use a bike or ball pump. Push air into the wine bottle using a sports pump so the cork rises up and out. This Unique Wine Decanter From Amazon Is One of the Best Gifts I Got Off My Wedding Registry