Help me before I lose my mind!

[phlox]

I can't open wine with a wine key. There was a time when I was able to, albeit awkwardly, but the more people try to tell me how to do it 'right,' the less I'm able to do it, and now I've psyched myself out so much that I can't do it at all. Literally. I just stood in my kitchen trying to open a bottle of beaujolais, sweating and screaming and pulling harder than I've ever pulled before, so hard I cracked the glass on the bottle, and the cork will.not.come.out. This happens every time I try to open wine now. I know how you're supposed to do it - hold the metal prong thingies over the top of the glass part so you can use the key as a lever. I've tried pushing down, pulling up, I've watched people do it over and over and I just can't do it. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I suspect part of the problem may be that I'm so short that trying to do this on a countertop is making it harder for me, but I'm not sure.

I'm taking a six-month long course on wine and have aced every exam, but I can't bloody open it! Help me!

Edited June 19, 2007 by phlox (log)

[rconnelly]

I can't open wine with a wine key.  There was a time when I was able to, albeit awkwardly, but the more people try to tell me how to do it 'right,' the less I'm able to do it, and now I've psyched myself out so much that I can't do it at all.  Literally.  I just stood in my kitchen trying to open a bottle of beaujolais, sweating and screaming and pulling harder than I've ever pulled before, so hard I cracked the glass on the bottle, and the cork will.not.come.out.  This happens every time I try to open wine now.  I know how you're supposed to do it - hold the metal prong thingies over the top of the glass part so you can use the key as a lever.  I've tried pushing down, pulling up, I've watched people do it over and over and I just can't do it.  I don't know what I'm doing wrong.  I suspect part of the problem may be that I'm so short that trying to do this on a countertop is making it harder for me, but I'm not sure.

I'm taking a six-month long course on wine and have aced every exam, but I can't bloody open it!  Help me!

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I have been having the same problem no matter what tool I use! I've had more cork in my wine in the last few months than I've had in years.

I think it's a consipracy.

And if I

[melkor]

If you only drink port and champagne you'll be all set. Get yourself a pair of port tongs and snap the neck off all your bottles of port. A kitchen knife will work to saber your champagne bottles. Problem solved. I've got no idea why you can't work a corkscrew, you must have a friend who can - ask them to show you how.

[JAZ]

For me, the most important thing I learned was to get the worm (the screw part) inserted in the middle of the cork and straight (a nonstick coated worm helps with this). That part does take practice, at least it did for me. Now that I've got that down, I have a lot less trouble. But it is crucial to have a good corkscrew. If the worm is bent at all, you're doomed to frustration.

There are corkscrew styles that don't require the kind of pulling you seem to be talking about. The little table model from Screwpull is really easy -- just place it over the bottle, start turning, and keep turning until the cork comes out. No pulling at all.

[phlox]

Well, I work in a restaurant now as a host and would like to keep working in restaurants, so I feel like I need to be able to use a wine key like everyone else does. I can use other devices, like those little butterfly contraptions for instance, but this specific type is what's giving me trouble.

[Rebel Rose]

What's a 'wine key'? And a butterfly? Pics would help?

[DCP]

What's a 'wine key'?  And a butterfly?  Pics would help?

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To the best of my understanding, a 'wine key' is another name for a waiter's corkscrew or sommelier's knife - which folds flat when not in use and requires use as a lever, as phlox mentions. It takes a little practice to use one efficiently. I'm still learning after using the old style (see below) for years.

The 'butterfly' style being referenced is probably like this, the kind which has rising levers that are pushed down to remove the cork. This is the old standard, but there are more elegant options!

[menon1971]

Try a funkier corkscrew. I just procured a vintage Zig Zag and it is pretty foolproof, even on those pesky composite corks. Plus it looks really groovy.

[Rebel Rose]

Ah, thank you! The quality of waiter's corkscrews (wine keys) will vary. Plus, the worm will get dull after 50-100 openings and just grind into the cork. Some of them are dull to begin with. You will want to make sure you

a) have a good quality screw with a sharp point

b) haven't overused it, and

c) be sure to lever the cork straight up

I find the butterfly style to be even more treacherous. The gears are prone to slipping or catching.

Personally, I prefer an Ahso-style, two prong opener. They do sometimes bend, but if you can master an Ahso, you will be able to open any bottle, anytime, without grinding the cork into dust.

. . . .

Except for Nomacorks and other plastic corks. They don't have the "give" of natural cork and they practically DARE you to extract them. If you are dealing with Nomacork style closure . . . use a saber and just behead the bottle.

[DCP]

I find the butterfly style to be even more treacherous.  The gears are prone to slipping or catching.

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No kidding. My SO snapped off the lever on mine two weeks ago. Fortunately, it was easily repaired with a hammer.

Personally, I prefer an Ahso-style, two prong opener.  They do sometimes bend, but if you can master an Ahso, you will be able to open any bottle, anytime,  without grinding the cork into dust.

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I never figured out how to use those.

Except for Nomacorks and other plastic corks.  They don't have the "give" of natural cork and they practically DARE you to extract them.  If you are dealing with Nomacork style closure . . . use a saber and just behead the bottle.

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I know there are multiple styles of plastic corks, but personally, I've always found them easier to extract than natural cork. The firmness seems to keep the screw from going off-center, and allows extraction with shallower penetration.

On the other hand, the saber technique is more visually impressive.

[Walter Moar]

Does your corkscrew have a double hinge? The ones in the photos posted by DCP do not; I find the double-hinged ones much easier to use. The double hinge gives you better leverage using the middle "platform" when you first start pulling the cork out, then you use the end "platform" to finish extracting the cork. Hopefully that's easier to visualize than the adequately describe.

Another important thing is that the worm or "screw" is of the helix type, rather than auger. The auger style has a solid shaft (if that makes any sense).

I've always used waiter's corkscrews, and I'm useless with those butterfly contraptions or (even worse) any of these fancy things that cost more than $10 and don't fit in my pocket!

If nothing else, open bottles more often

[DCP]

Does your corkscrew have a double hinge? The ones in the photos posted by DCP do not; I find the double-hinged ones much easier to use.

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You're absolutely correct. An odd omission, given the only kind I've ever owned is double-hinged. Here is a photo of the CIA version, said to be used at their restaurants.