Almost all of us have faced this situation at least once — you’re about to enjoy a nice bottle of wine, but there’s no corkscrew around. Picture this: you’re on a family picnic, you brought your favorite Georgian wine, some snacks, everything you need for a perfect day — but you forgot the corkscrew. Don’t panic! Here’s how to handle this situation elegantly.

2 Best Methods Shared by Experts from Georgian Wine Shop

When it comes to solving any problem, it’s always best to ask the professionals — and that’s exactly what we did. Here’s what Georgian wine shop experts recommended:

  • A simple lighter. To remove the cork, gently heat the neck of the bottle just below the cork, advises an importer of wine from Georgia. As the glass warms up, the cork will slowly start moving toward the opening, and within a couple of minutes, you’ll be able to enjoy your favorite drink.
  • A basic shoe. If you don’t have a lighter, a shoe can work as a substitute for a corkscrew. Simply place the bottle inside a shoe and whack bottom of shoe against wall or door several times and the cork will gradually start to come out. In our opinion, this is a top trick worth remembering.

By the way, if you’re wondering where to buy Georgian wine, we recommend checking out SRW. They offer dry, semi-sweet, and sweet wines made with ancient winemaking techniques in large clay vessels. There’s so much to say about the advantages of wine made in Georgia, but it’s better to taste it once and fall in love with its incredible bouquet and lingering finish.

Creative Methods from the Internet

Naturally, we were curious about what other corkscrew-free solutions the internet had to offer — and we tested a few of them:

  • A screw and pliers. Screw a wood screw into the cork about two-thirds of the way, leaving the head sticking out. Then carefully pull the cork out using pliers. This method works great if you have a toolbox nearby.
  • Using a key or knife. Some suggest stabbing the cork with a key or knife and twisting it out. We couldn’t get this to work — and the knife slipped dangerously several times.
  • Pushing the cork inside. First, it’s harder than it looks. Second, tiny pieces of cork often end up floating in the wine, which can ruin the experience.

Opening a bottle of wine without a corkscrew is not as difficult as it seems. With a little patience, creativity, and caution, you can still pour that aromatic wine into your glass — even if the right tool isn’t at hand.