Your preferred stemware has been prepared. You pull out that bottle of wine you’ve been dreaming about for days, only to realize you can’t locate the corkscrew. You may wonder, “How to open wine without corkscrew?”

There are several methods to answer the question of how to open wine without a corkscrew. To press the cork down, use common tools like scissors, your car or house keys, or even a wooden spoon.

Before you start squandering that wine in frustration, remember that you can safely do these proven and tested methods from your home.

by Lefteris kallergis / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2019’

1. Alternatives to the Corkscrew:

The following are the many household items and objects required to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew. Remember that you only need one item at a time, or whatever you can get your hands on.

• Screw (standard or with hook) (regular or with hook)
• A Hammer or a pair of pliers
• Wire Hanger
• Paper clip
• Steak knife with serrations
• Car key
• Bike pump
• Tongs
• Lighter or Blowtorch
• Shoe
• Scissor

2. 10-Simple Methods On How to Open Wine Without Corkscrew

by Jeff Siepman / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2019’

2.1. Method – 1. Hammer and Screw Method

Screws are very simple to come by at home, and if you’re lucky, you’ll come across a screw with a hook, similar to the kind used to hang picture frames.

It’s the simplest and most effective approach to open wine bottles without a corkscrew since you’re simply imitating how a corkscrew works.

• Simply screw the picture hook into the cork and wriggle the cork out.
• If you have a standard hookless screw, you may lock the screw beneath it and pull the cork out with the backside of a hammer. A pair of pliers can also be used.

2.2. Method – 2. Making Use of a Wire Hanger

Do you have an extra wire hanger? This hack will necessitate severing a section of it.

• Using pliers, build a small hook by bending the last half inch back until it forms an angle of about 30 degrees, similar to the angle of a fishhook.
• Place the new hook on the cork’s edge with the U-shape pointing up.
• Wiggle the hook back and forth until it reaches a depth of about 2 inches.
• Rotate the hook so that the sharp end is inserted into the bottom of the cork.
• Begin pushing up once the hook is snugly embedded in the cork.

2.3. Method – 3. Making Use of Paper Clip

If breaking a perfectly nice hanger is not an option, you can substitute paper clips. The premise is the same as with the hanger, but this one demands greater accuracy.

• Only straighten the central section of two paper clips. Don’t straighten both ends of the U forms.
• Insert one between the cork and the side of the bottle, then repeat on the opposite side of the cork. Push the U-shape down until it is below the cork.
• Rotate the clip until the U-shapes are beneath the cork.
• Connect the two remaining U-shapes outside the bottle. Insert a pencil beneath the hooks or knot them together tightly.
• Slowly pull the clips up, ensuring sure the cork follows. While pulling up, twist it a few times.

by Christian Bowen / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2020’

2.4. Method – 4. Get Your Serrated Knife Out

Needless to say, this approach must be used with extreme caution.

• Locate a knife that will readily fit into the wine bottle’s neck. Any tiny or pocket knife will do, but a serrated knife will offer you the greatest chance since the blade will grasp the cork more tightly.
• Carefully insert the blade into the cork. Then, rock the blade without pushing it down. Repeat until the knife is completely through the cork.
• Now twist the knife with a slight pull and rock it out gently. Make cautious not to get cork fragments in your wine.

2.5. Method – 5. Car key – That is the Key!

You may use any of your car keys to open a wine bottle as you did with the serrated knife.

We recommend only using car keys with several copies if you exert too much effort and destroy them.

• Insert the car key at a 45-degree angle into the cork.
• Rotate the key in a circle, carefully twisting the cork out.
• After a few twists, the cork should come out. If not, be careful to enter the key into the cork correctly; otherwise, the cork may crumble within, making it difficult to push it out.
• The “key” here is to turn the key in circles while pulling up at the same time.

2.6. Method – 6. The Bike Pump Method

This one employs wonderful science, yet it is quite simple to execute. All you need is a bike pump or any other type of air pump with a needle.

• Insert the needle through the cork until it reaches the air between it and the liquid.
• Carefully pump air into the bottle. The cork should gently slide out of the bottle due to the air pressure as you pump.
• Be cautious because the pressure from the pump may cause the cork to pop out quickly and forcefully.

2.7. Method – 7. Tongs That are Heated

This method emerged in Portugal as an alternative to using corks that crumbled with age to open very old bottles of wine.

Be warned: hot heat and broken glass are involved. A pair of metallic, ideally rounded, bottle or beaker tongs are required.

• Heat tongs until they are charred.
• Place them around the bottle’s neck, just below the cork.
• Keep the tongs in place for around 10 seconds.
• Apply cold water to the neck using a brush or a kitchen towel. Take caution not to burn yourself.
• Using a thick cloth or a pair of gloves, break off the top.
• Strain the wine through a sieve or other strainer to prevent eating the glass.

2.8. Method – 8. Lighter or a Blowtorch

What lengths will you go to acquire a drink of that wine? If you have a blowtorch lying around, it could do the trick.

Remember to put on protective eyewear and a suit! Also, and this is critical, ensure the wine bottle is NOT COLD since rapid temperature fluctuations may cause the bottle to burst.

• Set the bottle on the table.
• Light the blow torch and move the flame several inches away from the bottle’s neck while spinning it.
• Hold the heat for roughly a minute on that spot.
• The cork may pop out with force, so keep a safe distance.
• If that seems too “Wild Science,” you may use a lighter instead. However, it will take longer to get the desired result.

2.9. Method – 9. The Shoe Method

This is a widespread solution, but for those who haven’t heard of it, it may appear to be a ridiculous way to handle the cork problem.

This works best with a higher-profile shoe that reaches your ankle or a shoe with a raised sole. A leather loafer is an excellent example.

Please remember that the shoe method demands patience and physical power.

• Remove the protective cover from the wine bottle and ensure no plastic or foil covers the cork.
• Insert the bottle of wine, bottom first, into the shoe’s opening. With one hand, hold the bottle and the other the shoe.
• Gently tap the sole of your shoe on a wall while holding the wine bottle. Repeat numerous times. The bottle should be horizontal, and you should only touch the wall with the area of your shoe right beneath it. If you strike it hard enough, your shoe will keep the bottle from breaking. Due to the pressure in the bottle, a strong whack numerous times should begin to pull the cork out.
• Once the cork has moved approximately an inch out of the bottle, pull it out with your fingers.

2.10. Method – 10. The Scissor Method

This approach is quite similar to the key method but requires a little more care and control. As always, use caution when handling the blades!

• Purchase a pair of small craft scissors or children’s scissors (but not those safety scissors with plastic).
• Hold the handles and fully open the scissors. Again, avoid the blades’ sharp edges.
• Apply gentle pressure and carefully drive the scissor blade halfway into the cork. Avoid shattering the cork into fragments by pushing it too hard.
• Twist the scissors’ handles while holding the bottle securely with one hand.
• Reverse it after a few twists. Hold the scissors handles stationary and twist the bottle instead.
• The cork will burst out if the scissor blade is wedged deeply enough. Otherwise, the cork will protrude far enough to be pulled out by hand.

3. Prevention Is Better Than Cure!

by Juli Kosolapova / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2019’

Of course, the best method to avoid being taken off guard is to always keep a corkscrew on hand. That isn’t as complicated as it appears. And drinking wine isn’t as bad as some think, wine could actually be beneficial if consumed with limitations.

Back to the point, some wonderful key chain wine-opening tools are also available that are only focused on unscrewing bottles; they are often less bulky than multi-tool pocket knives and can be less expensive, albeit less flexible.

When traveling, keep a corkscrew in your car, preferably in the glove box, center console, or trunk. It’s astonishing how many times it can be useful!

Last Updated on July 26, 2023 by ritukhare