How do you open a wine bottle without a corkscrew?

electric drill :loopy: i have a corkscrew you can have if you live near me pop in for it :P

1 X Screw
1 X Pliers = Piece of p*ss

Hammer and nail punch. You can force the cork down into the bottle, if you're careful you'll only lose a bit. If you're tight, put it in a pan before starting, that way you'll catch the spillage. Oh those heady days of student parties...

One rather large mallet.

Bash the thing, watch out for aftershock though, then it'll be opened.

I have seen it done with a towel (only to be done with a cheap wine though!)

Turn bottle upside down, fold towel and place over bottom of bottom. Hit vigorously. Shock waves going through the wine will force the cork out far enough for you to grab it and pull it the rest of the way!

We use to ram cork into bottle, by placing thin end of wood spoon on the top of the cork and hitting the spoon end with a baked bean tin or hammer.

Good Luck

Originally posted by Rubber_soul
1 X Screw
1 X Pliers = Piece of p*ss

Done that one a few times myself,never fails. Using molegrips makes it even easier.

push cork into bottle with finger.

Why not just buy a corkscrew?

Originally posted by Saxon
Why not just buy a corkscrew?

Because then the thread would be entitled "opening wine with a corkscrew" - not many variations on that method...

The screw and pliars thing does work. I did it last night :)

Cheers guys, in the end we borrowed a corkscrew off a neighbour in the end.

screw and some string. or pouring very hot water over the neck of the bottle will sometimes force the cork to pop out.

got this book 4,000 things you really ought to know.
some good tips in it.

I use my cheap-copy-of-a-swiss-army-knife from my handbag :thumbsup:

But I suppose that's a corkscrew really :D

I always find a potato peeler is the weapon of choice when there is no corkscrew; just push the cork in.

Remember to drink quickly though; the cork seems to make the wine taste dead nasty! :gag: I'm sure JonJParr could tell us why! :D

K x

Originally posted by Kristian
I always find a potato peeler is the weapon of choice when there is no corkscrew; just push the cork in.

Remember to drink quickly though; the cork seems to make the wine taste dead nasty! :gag: I'm sure JonJParr could tell us why! :D

K x

First, why haven't you got a corkscrew with you? I carry one in my briefcase for those longs trip back from London.

But why does a wine that's had it cork pushed in taste nasty? It's true that you can push the cork through and the wine will probably taste ok. However, in those circumstances I would recommend decanting the wine to prevent any further tainting from taking place. Usually, if a cork is pushed through and the wine tastes bad it can be attributed to bacteria present in the cork itself.
If you open a bottle of wine and it smells "bad" -that is to say cheesy (not vinegary) you can usually boil the wine up and use it to cook with, so it's not entirely wasted. A vinegary wine is good for nothing really- well maybe salad dressing.

But as for pushing the cork through I'd definitely advise that you try and avoid it. Cork in the wine usually does affect the taste slightly. I've found the most foolproof method of avoiding wine contamination is to use a Screwpull.

TIP: If it's an expensive bottle of Bordeaux or Burgundy and you haven't got a corkscrew - don't attempt to open it. Just wait till you do. Patience is a virtue.

I used a plumers pipe cutter to score around the neck of the bottle then tapped it with a metal serving spoon. It works.

Another wine related question, Quite a few bottles I bought recently in a case advise keeping for a few years, MUST I keep them on their side? They have been upright since I bought them at christmas in a cool dark cupboard in my kitchen. should I lie them flat?

Taaaa

Originally posted by neeeeeeeeeek
Another wine related question, Quite a few bottles I bought recently in a case advise keeping for a few years, MUST I keep them on their side? They have been upright since I bought them at christmas in a cool dark cupboard in my kitchen. should I lie them flat?

Taaaa

You should keep them flat so the cork stays damp.
If the cork dries out the bottle lets air in and the wine goes off.

Originally posted by neeeeeeeeeek
Another wine related question, Quite a few bottles I bought recently in a case advise keeping for a few years, MUST I keep them on their side? They have been upright since I bought them at christmas in a cool dark cupboard in my kitchen. should I lie them flat?

Taaaa

How long are we talking?

End of december i got them, lack of space and I was on holiday when they arrived so got stuck in the box they arrived in into the cupboard

Lol when we first moved into the flat, we wanted wine with our first meal on our new table and yes, we had it all chilled, the glasses out, the lot... But no means of opening it! lol!

Our solution? Leave it, have a glass of water/OJ and remember to buy one when you're at the supermarket! lol

In my desperation I once tried to open a bottle of wine with a set of keys. Needless to say..it didn't work :-)