How to serve wine without a corkscrew

Quick answer

If you have no corkscrew, first try to borrow one from a neighbour, host, licensed venue or nearby shop. A proper wine opener gives you controlled leverage and is much less likely to damage the cork or bottle.

If that is impossible, the most defensible emergency option for an intact bottle of still wine is a sturdy screw and pliers. Insert the screw carefully into the cork, leave enough of it exposed to grip, then pull slowly and vertically with the pliers. Stop immediately if the bottle moves, the cork starts crumbling, the screw will not grip or you need excessive force.

Pushing the cork into the bottle is a less tidy fallback. It may cause the cork to crumble, leaving fragments in the wine. Knives, shoe-and-wall tricks, striking the bottle, heating the neck, drilling and firearms should not be used.

Before serving, inspect the bottle neck and wine. If you see chips, cracks or any sign that glass may have entered the bottle, do not serve it. Cork fragments are unpleasant but are not the same as cork taint, the wine fault associated with musty aromas.

The safest choice: find a proper opener

A corkscrew is designed to remove the closure with controlled leverage. A folding waiter’s friend—the compact opener commonly used in restaurants—is particularly practical, but any suitable wine opener is preferable to improvised force.

This matters even more with an older bottle. A fragile cork can break apart during opening, and an improvised method may make that more likely. If someone nearby has an opener, asking to borrow it is usually safer than trying a viral internet trick.

Licensed venues and hospitality workers should use the venue’s approved equipment and workplace procedures rather than an improvised household method.

Conditional emergency method: screw and pliers

Use this only for an intact still-wine bottle, on a stable, flat surface, when a proper opener is genuinely unavailable. Do not attempt it with sparkling wine or a damaged bottle.

You will need a sturdy screw and pliers. Ordinary household tools may be unsuitable, dirty or difficult to control, so do not assume this method is available or safe in every situation.

1. Remove any capsule or foil covering the cork.
2. Keep the bottle upright on a stable surface.
3. Carefully turn the screw into the centre of the cork, leaving enough screw exposed for the pliers to grip. Do not drive it through the cork into the wine.
4. Hold the bottle steady and grip the exposed screw firmly with the pliers.
5. Pull slowly and vertically, keeping your face and hands away from the line of pull.
6. Stop if the cork twists apart, the bottle shifts, the screw slips or the force required feels excessive.

Do not hold the bottle between your knees, brace it against a wall or attempt this on an uneven picnic table, hot car bonnet or crowded barbecue area. If the conditions are unstable, wait until you can find a proper opener.

What about pushing the cork in?

Pushing the cork into the bottle can be a last resort for still wine, but it is not a clean or preferred solution. The cork may crumble and leave pieces floating in the wine, and the bottle will be harder to pour neatly.

If the cork falls in, keep the bottle upright and pour slowly into a clean jug or decanter. If you see cork material, you can strain the wine through a clean fine strainer. This may separate cork fragments, but it does not make glass-contaminated wine safe.

Do not use a knife or another sharp object to attack the cork. If the bottle neck is chipped, cracked or sharp—or if the bottle has been dropped or struck—do not serve the wine.

Methods to avoid

Some popular tricks rely on impact or uncontrolled force. Do not use:

• knives, scissors or other sharp objects;
• striking the bottle against a wall, bench or shoe;
• heating the bottle or neck;
• power drills used without suitable controls;
• firearms or other forceful devices;
• any method that could make the cork or glass fly unpredictably.

These approaches can cause cuts, broken glass, injury or contamination. Novelty is not a safety feature.

Still wine is not sparkling wine

The advice above is for still wine with a cork-type closure. Sparkling wine, Champagne and other pressure-containing bottles require different handling.

Do not use a screw and pliers, push the closure into the bottle, strike the bottle, heat it or drill it. Keep the bottle cold, point it away from people and hold the closure firmly while slowly rotating the bottle—not the cork—when opening it with the correct technique.

If you do not have the appropriate equipment or confidence, leave sparkling wine unopened until you can get help. After opening, use a purpose-designed sparkling-wine stopper rather than the spoon-in-the-neck trick, which does not properly preserve the bubbles.

Check the bottle before pouring

Before serving, check:

• the bottle lip and neck for chips, cracks or sharp edges;
• the wine for cork fragments or other foreign material;
• whether the bottle was dropped, struck or exposed to damaging heat;
• whether an improvised tool may have contacted the wine;
• whether the bottle is stable and intact.

Visible cork does not automatically mean the wine is corked. Cork pieces are physical fragments; cork taint is a wine fault associated with unpleasant musty aromas. If the wine smells faulty, or if you are unsure whether it has been contaminated, do not serve it.

Serve and reseal

Once the bottle is safely open, wipe or inspect the lip before pouring. Use clean glasses and pour slowly if cork fragments may be present.

For remaining still wine, replace the original cork if it is clean and intact, or use a suitable wine stopper. Store the bottle in a cool place, using normal opened-wine storage practice. In Australia, take extra care at a hot barbecue, picnic or campsite: choose a stable shaded surface, keep the bottle away from children and avoid handling glass in a crowded or rushed setting.

The best emergency wine-opening technique is still the one that avoids an emergency: keep a basic corkscrew where you normally serve wine.

Frequently asked questions

Can I open any wine bottle without a corkscrew?

No. Some alternatives may work for an intact still-wine bottle, but none is guaranteed. If the bottle is damaged, unstable, sparkling or under pressure, do not improvise.

Is wine with cork floating in it ruined?

Not necessarily. Cork fragments are not the same as cork taint. Pour slowly and strain out cork material if appropriate, but never serve wine if glass contamination is possible.

Can I use the spoon-in-the-neck trick for sparkling wine?

No. It is not a reliable way to preserve the bubbles. Use a purpose-designed sparkling-wine stopper instead.

What should I do if the cork breaks?

Stop pulling if it is crumbling. Inspect the bottle, avoid sharp objects and pour slowly. Strain out cork material if needed. If the bottle neck is damaged or glass may be present, do not serve the wine.