How to properly open a bottle of wine?

The wine tasting experience begins well before the tasting, when the drink is still in the bottle. From the presentation of the label, opening the bottle to the way to pour the wine into the glasses: each step should follow precise rules that the sommelier knows very well and which he puts into practice with artistry and skill.

However, even if you are not expert wine connoisseurs, you can learn some of these techniques, for example on how to open a bottle of wine the correct way to enjoy a good wine in the rules of art and amaze your guests when you bring the bottle to the table.

Knowledge how to uncork a bottle of wine è importante per non danneggiare le caratteristiche organolettiche, gli aromi e il gusto di questa bevanda. Un classico incidente, ad esempio, è il crumbling cork e che finisce all’interno della bottiglia, rendendola inservibile.

Tools for opening a bottle of wine

The most suitable tool to open a bottle of wine is the classic corkscrew, called in some Italian regions also"tirabusciò", from the French tire-bouchon that means precisely professional corkscrew, that used by sommeliers, besides being equipped with the typical spiral or "worm", the double-level extractor and the lever, is also equipped with a small blade, essential to open the capsule that wraps the neck of the sealed bottle.

This tool is practical, handy and can be used even with one hand. In other cases, as we shall see below, a blade corkscrewis used instead, consisting of two parallel blades connected to a ring. 

How to open wine: the basic steps

• The first step to uncork a bottle of wine in the correct way is to make a small incision in the capsule with the corkscrew knife on the capsule at the height of the ring and lift it;

• then it is recommended to clean the neck of the bottle with a napkin to remove any residue from the capsule;

• at this point it is necessary to insert the tip of the corkscrew spiral into the centre of the cork and start screwing. It is not important that the tip penetrates the inside of the whole cap, on the contrary, it is not recommended: in doing so the risk that some particles will detach from the cap and end up in the bottle is quite high;

• The next step involves theextraction of the cap, with the lever of the corkscrew resting on the neck of the bottle. The movement must be slow, with a slight but firm twist of the wrist to avoid breaking the cap. Contrary to popular belief, uncorking a bottle of wine in the correct way does not cause any noise when you remove the cap;

• Once the wine bottle is uncorked, you may be prepared to examine the capto make sure that it has not broken or that there are no traces of mold or fungi that could have compromised the wine:

• now the wine is ready to be served.

How to open a bottle of white wine

When it comes to how to open a bottle of wine, it is normal to ask whether there are differences between white and red.

The procedure is similar for both types of wine. The bottle of white wine, before being opened, must be dried with a napkinIn fact, it is usually brought to the table directly from the refrigerator or ice bucket, so it is important to dry it carefully to ensure a proper opening. 

How to uncork a bottle of red wine

Although the procedure for uncorking a bottle of red wine is similar to that described above, for red wines it is necessary to take some extra precautions before opening the bottles.

Red wines are stored in a horizontal position within a controlled environment such as the classic cellar or the more modern cellar. However, it is advisable to put them upright one day before serving to facilitate the deposition of any particles at the bottom of the bottle.

How to open a bottle of aged wine

Opening bottles of aged wine requires, as anticipated, some extra tricks. In addition to the precautions mentioned above, it is important to keep in mind that the long stay in the cellar characteristic of this wine could affect the integrity of the cap. If you use the classic corkscrew to uncork the wine bottle, you could run the risk of breaking the cap and damaging the wine.

The advice to open a bottle of aged wine is to use a corkscrew. This particular instrument is composed of two parallel blades that are inserted into the cork stopper laterally (not from above as with the traditional corkscrew). Once this is done, proceed with the rotation of the corkscrew, pulling slightly: it is thus possible to uncork the bottle of aged wine without risks.