Charlton Home W000298115 Other

HOW TO OPEN A WINE BOTTLE WITH A

TWO-STEP WAITER'S CORKSCREW

Step 1: Expose Knife and Place below the Lip of the Bottle

The waiter’s corkscrew will have a retractable knife on it that you will use to

cut the foil off of the bottle. Place the knife below the lip of the
bottle NOT above. This is done mainly for hygienic reasons. Many wine
bottles can be stored for years in cellars where they can become dirty on the
outside. It is best to cut the foil far enough away from the pouring spout so as
to not contaminate the wine while pouring.

Step 2: Cut Around the Neck of the Bottle in a Circular

Fashion

Grasp the bottle firmly in one hand and apply pressure to the back of the neck
with your thumb. Rotate the bottle and the knife in opposite directions while
applying firm pressure to cut the foil from the bottle. After one or two full
passes with the knife, it is time to remove the foil.

Step 3: Remove the Foil From the Bottle

Press your thumb against the neck of the bottle opposite the knife. Use a
scraping motion to peel the foil upwards and away from the bottle. Once you
have separated the foil sufficiently from the bottle, finish removing the top
portion of it with your hands. If necessary, use a clean napkin to remove any
stray pieces of foil still remaining on the cut portion or near the cork.

Step 4: Insert the Corkscrew Into the Cork

Hold the bottle firmly with one hand and use the other to place the tip of the
corkscrew against the center of the cork. Slowly twist the corkscrew while
applying downward pressure to get it started into the cork. Continue twisting
the corkscrew into the cork being careful to keep it travelling down the center
and not towards the sides of the bottle. If you are to push the corkscrew too
far towards the side of the bottle, you may break the cork off. Continue
twisting the corkscrew into the cork until approximately ONE (1) twist
remains. The reason for leaving one twist of the corkscrew out of the cork is
in an effort to not push the metal entirely through the cork. Doing so will
push cork residue into the wine and contaminate it.

Step 5: Use the First Step on the Corkscrew

Place the first step of the corkscrew onto the lip of the bottle. Use sufficient
pressure with one hand to lever the cork out of the bottle using the first step
as the fulcrum. Be careful not to bend the cork too much and risk breaking it.
You simply need to begin pulling the cork from the bottle and do not need
more than half of it coming up in this step.

Step 6: Use the Second Step of the Corkscrew

Set the second step of the corkscrew onto the lip of the bottle now. Using
both steps allows you to remove the cork more simply with less chance of
breakage. Use the second step in a similar manner to the first, once again
being very careful to not break the cork. Once the corkscrew has been used to
its full potential, simply pull on the corkscrew-cork combo to remove it from
the bottle.

Step 7: Remove the Cork From the Corkscrew

Unscrew the cork from the corkscrew being careful not to break it. If you are
to not finish this bottle of wine, you will want to re-cork it to keep it
fresh. When doing this, make sure to be careful to not poke yourself with the
sharp point of the corkscrew.

Step 8: Remove the Cork From the Corkscrew

Look at the cork to make sure there has been no damage to it during storage.
Signs of damage would include: cracks running up the sides of the cork, a
wine level that can be seen to have absorbed into the cork past one third of its
length, mold, or other signs of deterioration. If the cork is acceptable, pour
yourself a small amount into your glass.