Seven Ways To Open A Wine Bottle Without A Corkscrew

Even in well-organised households, the corkscrew can go missing

How do you open a wine bottle without a corkscrew? The house is full of guests, the atmosphere is in the warm-up phase - and it's the perfect time to serve guests a light wine. But the corkscrew has passed into nirvana and is nowhere to be found. Embarrassed, you search through every drawer only to find it's gone! Our editorial team recommends staying cool and trying the life hacks tested by 9wines to keep everyone entertained. With a guaranteed fun factor! One thing is certain: You will definitely have the cork out of the wine bottle after reading this article! ;-)

Seven tips on how to open the wine bottle without a corkscrew

1. A key

Place the key at an angle to the cork, gently press it in and turn it so that the comb slowly drills into the cork. Then the cork can be carefully removed as if with a corkscrew.

2. Nails

Three to four nails should be enough to open a wine bottle the artisan way. Knock the nails into the cork in a triangle or square and, as you carefully pull them out of the neck of the bottle with a claw hammer or pliers, the cork will come too.

If you don't have a claw hammer or pliers at home, the cork can also be removed with the help of two nails and a work glove. To do this, press in the nails at an angle to the left and right sides of the cork and then remove them with protective gloves. In a pinch, you can also use a table fork, which you simply push below the nail head and then carefully pull up with slightly shaking movements.

3. Screw

Grab a screwdriver and a screw. The mechanism is similar to that of a corkscrew. Simply screw the screw into the cork with a screwdriver and slowly unscrew the cork with pliers or, in an emergency, with a fork. Done!

4. Lighter

To avoid burning your fingers, use a stick lighter for this method. Move it around the neck of the bottle for about a minute to warm the air between the wine and cork. Heat makes the air expand and so the cork is pushed upwards. But be careful! This works best when the bottle contains a natural or pressed cork. A plastic cork can warp in the event of large temperature fluctuations and thus become more difficult to remove from the bottle neck.

And while we're talking about heat: Attention everyone who has a straightening iron at home! You can even get the cork out of the bottle with this styling tool. Just wait a short time until the heating plates of the straightening iron have warmed to at least 180 degrees, then put it on the neck of the bottle, exactly where the cavity is. Now turn the bottle and wait. This can take a few minutes, but after a while the air between the wine and the cork will have warmed up enough, expanding and pushing the cork upwards as if by magic.

5. Shoe

Probably the most brutal method! Roll the bottle in a towel, tuck the bottom into a shoe, find a wall or use the floor. Tap the shoe with the wine in it. This will quietly and powerfully push the cork out of the neck of the bottle.

If you are afraid of damaging the wall or floor, open the wine bottle with just a shoe and without a wall. To do this, simply sit on a chair and clamp the wine bottle upside down between your thighs. Now hit the bottom of the bottle evenly with the flat sole of the shoe until the cork has slipped out far enough so that you can remove it by hand.

6. Spoon

Friends of good taste will scream at this method. Rightly so, we think! It changes the taste of the wine significantly. If you still want to open the wine with all the consequences, take an ordinary tablespoon or wooden spoon and, with the handle, press the cork into the bottle. Splash, the cork floats and the wine can be poured.

7. Bicycle pump

This trick is just brilliant, because you can use it to open a bottle of wine easily without a corkscrew! You just need a bike pump/floor pump. For this method, simply push the pointed end of the pump into the cork and slowly pump away. Due to the pressure that is created in the bottle, the cork literally jumps out.

Play it safe

And if you want to do without a cork completely, there are fortunately many wines with screw caps. Weingut Krispel's Sauvignon Blanc Straden is very easy to open and guarantees trouble-free drinking! If you are looking for a bottle opener, we have a great deal: Get our "9wines White Wine Starter Box" and receive a super practical 9wines corkscrew and two wine glasses for free. ;-)