Now that you've gone out 
and spent a few bucks 
on a bottle of wine, 
wouldn't it be nice to be able 
to open it up with a casual flair? 
Do you really want to make that 
champagne cork 
fly across the room, 
and bean Aunt Hilda in the head? 
Here are some simple guidelines 
that will help convince your new love interest 
that you've been doing this all your life. 

First and Foremost

Remember that anything involving wine 
should be enjoyable. 
When you successfully pour a cork-free 
glass of wine, appreciate it. 
On the other hand, 
if the cork breaks in half, 
and won't come out, what the heck! 
Push it into the bottle, 
pick out the bits of cork 
and stop worrying. 
The world hasn't come to an end. 

Champagne, sparkling wine and white wine 
are best when served well-chilled. 
Red wine, on the other hand 
is best opened when only slightly 
cooler than room temperature. 
To accomplish this: 
Put white wine in the refrigerator 
at least two hours 
before you plan to open it. 
Champagne or sparkling wine can go in
even earlier than that. 
Red wine (really any wine) 
should not be kept in sunny areas, 
or on top of the refrigerator. 
Find a cool, dry place where the 
temperature remains fairly 
consistent year-round.
A quiet, cool spot such as 
a closet, hallway, unused fireplace, 
or space under the stairs will do. 
Do not store wine near goods 
that emit strong odors, 
because the wine "breathes" 
through its cork and has a tendency 
to absorb odors from the air. 
Wine should always be stored 
lying horizontally, 
so that the cork remains 
moist and elastic. 
It is important not to disturb 
wine bottles too much 
before opening them.
Sparkling wines should not be agitated 
if the server wants any of it to remain 
in the bottle after opening! 

Choosing your weapon 

There are quite a few different 
corkpulls on the market nowadays, 
and I'll cover three of them: 
the traditional waiter's pull,
(my personal weapon of choice) 
the winglever and the 
two pronged "dishonest butler" 
(so named because it doesn't destroy the cork).




Using a waiters pull: 
Place the bottle upright on a flat surface 
or securely hold it between your knees 
at a slight angle, 
with the top easily accessible. 
Firmly place the point of the corkscrew 
in the center of the cork, 
and twist it straight in, 
until the screw part is 
completely in the cork. 
Pivot the corkpull, 
so that the forked indentation 
grips the edge of the 
bottle's mouth and the pull's 
handle is pointed down. 
Grasp the handle firmly 
and pull straight up.
 



Using a winged pull: 
Place the bottle upright 
on a flat surface. 
Position the point of the corkscrew 
over the center of the cork. 
Firmly grasp both the bottle neck 
and the barrel of the pull under 
the wings with one hand. 
Twist the corkscrew by the "key" 
at the top until the round mouth 
of the pull is seated over the mouth 
of the bottle. 
Allow the wings to rise until 
they won't go up any farther. 
Put a hand on each wing 
and push them all the way down. 
The cork should draw out of the bottle. 
If any part of the cork 
remains in the neck, 
grasp the entire corkpull in one hand 
and gently pull it straight out.
  



Using the "dishonest butler":
Place the bottle upright on a flat surface. 
Gently insert the tip of the longer prong 
between the edge of the bottle and the cork. 
Now bend the thing so that you can insert 
the other prong between the other side 
of the cork and the edge of the bottle. 
Once you've got both prongs between the 
cork and the bottle's edge, 
grasp the top of the pull 
and rock it back and forth. 
The prongs should sink further in 
with each movement. 
When the handle is right up against 
the top of the bottle, 
pull the cork out 
with a slow twisting motion, 
clockwise for righties, 
counterclockwise for lefties.



Opening a bottle of sparkling wine - 
This includes Champagne, 
as well as sparkling white 
and rosé wines. 
The first method here is the correct 
one to use when you would like the wine 
to taste its best. 
Use the second method 
when consumption 
is not as important as the fun 
of watching corks 
fly around the room.

Correct Method
 
Step 1: 
Securely hold the bottle at a slight angle, 
with the top easily accessible. 
Remove the foil and wire cage 
from the bottle, 
being careful not to 
aim the bottle at anyone 
(no fooling around here).
 
Step 2: 
Firmly grasp the cork with your palm 
over the top of it 
and gently twist the bottle, 
not the cork. 
You'll be able to feel the cork sliding 
free by itself, and you'll need to keep 
it under control so that the cork "pops" 
as little as possible. 
Try to insure that it only makes 
a little 'gasp' when it comes out, 
and the wine shouldn't froth.

Fun Method
 
Step 1: 
Securely hold the bottle
at a slight angle, 
with the top easily accessible. 
Remove the foil and wire cage 
from the bottle, 
being careful not to aim 
the bottle at anyone 
(no fooling around here either).

Step 2: 
Now point the bottle away from 
you or anyone else, 
and grasp it by the neck with both hands. 
Press your thumbs against 
the sides of the cork, 
and first press on one side, 
then the other. 
By rocking the cork like you mean it, 
it will first creep out, 
and then pop out of the bottle. 
After it flies across the room, 
froth will pour out 
and everyone will laugh. 
Have those glasses handy 
to catch the bubbly.


It's nice to have the proper 
glasses to drink from. 
Red wine glasses are wider at the mouth 
and rounder than white wine glasses 
to allow for swirling and sniffing. 
White wine glasses are generally taller 
and have longer stems to keep 
the wine cold longer. 
Sparkling wine glasses 
are typically much narrower, 
so that the bubbles last longer. 
White wines may be served 
immediately after opening. 
Good red wines will benefit 
from being allowed to "breathe" 
for half an hour. 
The idea is to get as much surface 
area as possible, to allow as much wine 
as possible to come into contact with the air, 
while not disturbing it too much. 
The process of decanting will allow 
your wine to breathe. 
Decant wine by gently pouring it 
into another container. 
Not only does this provide 
the neccessary surface area, 
but any sediment present 
(most likely in very old or unfiltered wines) 
should stay in the bottle. 
If no decanter is available, 
pour off a half-glass 15-30 minutes 
before serving and let both 
the glass and bottle sit. 

When pouring sparkling wines, 
wrap the bottle in a cloth napkin 
(clockwise, of course, darling!) 
for effect and to insulate the bottle 
from your warm hand.
(this step alone can make you look
extremely cool!) 
Tilt the glass, 
and pour down the side of it 
to minimize frothing. 

If you don't finish your wine 
in one sitting,
(it could happen!) 
here are some tips for 
saving what's left.
 
White wine will generally 
keep in the refrigerator for 
four to five days once it's opened. 
Red wine, if you keep it 
at room temperature, 
will only last up to two days.
However, I've found it's never
as good if chilled and then 
returned to room temperature.
(so go ahead drink up!) 
The less air that gets to it, 
the better, so keep the cork! 
Transferring your wine 
to a smaller container, 
such as a clean 350ml bottle, 
and corking it tightly 
will help preserve it longer. 

Remember to enjoy it!