Wine on the Radio - July 22, 2003       Listen

Corkscrews

Remember those three great S's for tasting wine?   See , Swirl and Sip? Well they don't matter if you can't get the cork out of the bottle!

We're talkin' about corkscrews here.   You can spend as little as a buck for a plastic one or a couple of hundred for a solid brass corkscrew that bolts to your bar or table.

Regardless of price, the principle is the same . . . a squiggly screw, or worm, and some leverage.   The most common is the so-called "waiters friend" style used in restaurants.

Pick what you like to get the job done . . . but here's the best way the get that bottle open . . .

•  Cut the foil around the lip with a knife or the attached blade

•  Center the tip of the worm and screw it fully into the cork so the cork won't break when you pull it

•  Pull or lever the cork up steadily until you get that nice pop

•  Wipe off the bottle top and pour away

Check out some of the corkscrews here.   Then pop that cork™!