How to properly uncork a bottle of wine

Uncorking a bottle of wine on one side is an easy, but at the same time painstaking process, because the integrity of the drink and the preservation of its flavor and aroma profile depend on the competent and correct opening.

Bottle stoppers and methods for removing them

Cork. There are two types: made either from tree bark, or (a simplified version) from compressed shavings/sawdust of tree bark.

Uncorking can be done with a special tool - a corkscrew : mechanical or electric. The most commonly used knife in bars is the sommelier knife, which is usually called a narzannik .

1. Using a knife, you need to make three cuts in the shrink cap (capsule) - in front, behind the plug and a vertical cut;
2. Using the edge of a knife, remove the top part of the capsule. In Europe, it is customary to remove the entire shrink cap, while in Russia only the upper part is removed;
3. be sure to wipe the upper part of the neck with a handbrake, since dust may form under the capsule while the wine is maturing;
4. Working with a corkscrew. A corkscrew needle is placed in the center of the cork and screwed into the cork strictly vertically until the penultimate curl. It is not recommended to screw in the corkscrew completely, since the length of the cork may be different, and there is a possibility of puncturing the cork, which can lead to it falling off and spoiling the wine;
5. When the corkscrew is in the cork, the metal supports create a lever that gently lifts the cork upward. When uncorking, it is important to remove the cork with careful and smooth movements without unnecessary pops or sounds;
6. The cork should be placed on a separate small plate for presentation to the guest. The neck of the bottle is wiped again with the handbrake and the wine is ready for bottling.

For aged wines, restaurants often use aeration techniques, and for wines with sediment, decanting.

Plastic or synthetic. The process of uncorking a synthetic cork is the same as a cork cork. The only difference is the structure of the material of the cork itself.

Screw metal. The screw cap was loved by New World wines, since cork requires certain care, it can be overtaken by cork disease, it can crumble when uncorked, and the production process itself is expensive, many distilleries have switched to screw caps for still wines. In Russia, at first they disapproved of the innovation, believing that true wine should only have a cork cap, but the last decade has proven that many worthy wines with completely different pricing policies can have both a classic cork and a screw cap.

There is no longer any mystery in opening a screw cap; it opens with a slight movement, like a soda bottle.

Uncorking champagne and other carbonated drinks

Uncorking champagne begins with removing the foil part of the cork. This is usually done without any additional accessories. It is enough just to pull a small tab, and the cork, framed by a metal wire, will be exposed. Next, the thumb should be placed on top of the cork, and the remaining four should lightly hug the upper neck of the bottle with the cork. With your second hand you need to unscrew the wire (wire) and remove it from the cork, again placing your thumb up. Then the bottle of sparkling wine is positioned at an angle of 45⁰, one hand still holds the cork and turns it slightly clockwise, and the other turns the bottle itself counterclockwise. The neck of the bottle should be directed away from visitors, into an empty space. As soon as you feel the cork move, you need to tighten it a little harder.

According to the rules of etiquette, when uncorking a bottle of champagne, the sound should be minimal, this is not Formula 1, so loud banging and pouring sparkling wine are not allowed.

Opening a bottle with a corkscrew in a restaurant

Even such a simple action as uncorking a bottle can be done in the form of a whole ritual that will attract the attention of visitors.

When there is no corkscrew

The Internet is full of different life hacks for opening bottles. It seems that people use almost everything from their own fingers to boots and forks. But, let’s remember about the aesthetics of the drink, so we have selected for you somewhere forgotten, but, of course, aesthetic devices for this purpose.

• Air syringe. Suchsyringes were used at the beginning of the last century. Visually it resembles a large metal syringe with a thick needle. The needle is inserted into the cork and pumps air under it, the resulting air space pushes the cork upward and it is removed.
• Hot tongs. This device is used in premium restaurants, when using hot bottle tongs and ice water, part of the neck of the bottle is removed. This is a whole ritual that attracts admiring glances and requires special preparation.
• Sabrage. Opening a bottle of sparkling Gusar style. A bright enchanting show, all you need to complete it is a bottle and a saber (in fact, a sabrage can be made with any object with sharp edges: a knife, an axe, the stem of a glass, and so on).

Storage

And, of course, do not forget about proper storage of wines. After uncorking, be sure to close the wine with a vacuum stopper and remove air using a special pump. Thanks to this procedure, you can not only increase the shelf life of an open bottle, but also fully preserve the flavor bouquet of the wine.

As for sparkling wines , the opened bottle must be closed with a wine stopper to preserve carbonation and taste.