4 Creative Ways To Open A Wine Bottle Without A Corkscrew

by John Griffith
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Has this ever happened to you? You’ve found yourself the most charming vacation home and you are ready to sit back and relax with a nice bottle of wine. However, once you go to search for a bottle opener, you realize this gorgeous rental is lacking in the kitchen essential department. Or maybe you are in the process of moving and you have totally lost track of where you put the darn corkscrew. Surely, you put it in the boxes labeled “kitchen”, yet it has mysteriously vanished. Whatever situation you may find yourself in, knowing how to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew is a skill everyone needs to have. Even if you think it will never happen to you, it may when you least expect it. So, check out how to get yourself out of this unpleasant situation in a jiffy.

If you’ve got yourself a wine bottle and no corkscrew, we’ve got you 

open a wine bottle without a corkscrew wine bottle with corkscrew

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Creative Ways To Open A Wine Bottle Without A Corkscrew

If you find yourself faced with a bottle of wine and no corkscrew, we got you. While you may be sitting there wishing you had grabbed a bottle with a screw cap, don’t give up just yet. With the right tool and some elbow grease, you can get that cork loose. Soon you will be pouring yourself a glass of your wonderful wine and enjoying the rest of your evening. We’ve collected some tried and true methods you can try to get the bottle open, however, keep in mind that none are entirely foolproof. You have much higher chances of success if you are dealing with a natural cork than one made from rubber or plastic. Still, never give up! Here are some creative ways to open up a wine bottle.

We’ve collected some tried and true methods you can try to get the bottle open

open a wine bottle without a corkscrew different corkscrews

#Use a screw

The screw method is highly recommended by sommeliers. This is one of the safest methods, however, it does require some resilience and strength. You will need a long screw. Take it and screw it into the cork with a screwdriver until only an inch is showing. Then using the backside of a hammer, lock the screw, and pull out the cork. You can also use pliers or whatever else you have on hand.

The screw method is highly recommended by sommeliers

open a wine bottle without a corkscrew screws and hammer

#Push-it-in

This is one of the simplest methods you can try. First, you will need to choose something to use as your battering ram. This can be a wooden spoon, a sharpie, a tube of mascara, or toothbrush. You simply need a blunt instrument of your choice. However, the best recommendation here is a long wooden spoon. Then place the bottle in the sink. Grab your spoon and use it to push in the cork into the bottle. Don’t rush and be careful not to break the neck of the bottle. By pushing in the cork you will be able to get your wine out. However, you will have to strain out the cork before drinking, but that’s a small price to pay for the simplicity of this method.

Use a long wooden spoon to push in the cork

wooden utensils

#The key method

One thing you will surely have on you is your keys. So, take your sharpest key and clean it. Then place the tip in the center of the cork at a forty-five-degree angle. Start to slowly apply pressure as you turn your wrist in a way that will drive the key into the cork. The main trick here is to use the key as both lever and helix. So, once you have gotten enough of the key into the cork for leverage, you can start rotating it as you slowly pull the cork up. Don’t rush and take your time with this method. Pull until the cork is partially revealed, then use your hands to extract the rest.

One thing you will surely have on you is your keys

open a wine bottle without a corkscrew keys for house

#Get a hanger

This method is pretty simple. However, you will have to sacrifice one of your wire hangers. Trust us, you won’t be able to use it for clothes after this. It’s best if you use a thin wire hanger for this. So, take the hanger and bend the tip about thirty degrees back. Your goal is to get it to look like a fishhook. Then you will need to slide it down into the sealed bottle, alongside the cork. Once you’ve slid it in, rotate the wire around ninety degrees. The hood should be positioned underneath the cork. Then pull up the wire and the cork should come with it. If you find it hard to tug on the wire, you can use pliers. Make sure to use gloves or wrap the hanger in a towel for protection.

It’s best if you use a thin wire hanger for this

pink wire coat hanger

These are some creative ways to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew. We hope you found this article useful. Now even if you find yourself in a situation where you don’t have a bottle opener, you will still be able to get the wine bottle open.

These are some creative ways to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew

bottle with a cork

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John Griffith

John Griffith is a young, passionate journalist. Writing has been John’s hobby ever since he was a boy. He has worked in some of the UK’s most successful news portals over the course of his professional career but found his forever home at Archzine.