Tips to Opening a Stubborn Wine Cork
During this shelter-in-place, we have had the opportunity to go through quite a few older bottles of wine. On occasion we’ve come across some stubborn corks. So what’s the best way to deal with them? If you suspect a weak cork, try to use a lever wine opener with a thin gauge screw such as the original Screwpull (now Le Crueset). This puts less strain on the cork by pulling the cork straight up vs. putting lateral force on the cork like a traditional captain’s knife.
But what if you already tried to open the bottle and the cork broke half way? The best solution is an old one: the Ah-So wine opener by Monopol. This opener has two prongs that slide in between the cork and the neck of the bottle. The prongs grab onto the cork from the sides and you just pull the remaining cork straight up.
If you’re in a pinch, you can always push the remaining cork into the bottle and then decant your wine through a strainer such as the one pictured here. Make sure the strainer is dedicated to this purpose and not one you’ve used for cooking. Even with the most thorough cleaning, strainers used for cooking can have residual oils and proteins on them that are undesirable in wine.
