How to…Open a Bottle of Wine

There are few beverages as intimidating as fine wine. Though it may be easier to crack open a beer bottle or twist the lid off some vodka, learning the ins and outs of the world of wine can be important for your future. Often, business meetings over dinner and drinks offer you an opportunity to network and make a good impression in your career. However, if you can’t even get the wine out of the bottle without a struggle, it’s going to be an obstacle when schmoozing with colleagues in the work world. Luckily, you learned how to open a bottle of wine flawlessly in college, after reading a fabulous post on your favourite blog ;) :

Step 1: First, remove the foil cover from the lid of the bottle. The wine key (your wine bottle opener, if you don’t have one, get one) should have a small blade that you can use to slice around the foil around the edge of the lid and peel it away. If there isn’t a blade, you can slice the foil with the sharp point of the corkscrew.

Step 2: When you’re first practicing, place the bottle on a table while you remove the cork. Eventually, try to work up to removing the cork with one hand while you hold the bottle with the other for a more polished presentation.

Step 3: Place the tip of the corkscrew in the middle of the cork and press firmly as you twist the screw clockwise with one hand. As the screw pierces the cork, it will become easier to twist. Continue twisting until the screw is completely emerged in the cork.

Step 4: Swing the arm of the wine key out and place the shortest edge on the lip of the wine bottle. Use this to leverage the key as you gently but firmly pull the cork up out of the bottle.

Step 5: Use the further edge of the wine key against the lip of the bottle to finishing easing out the cork.

There you have it! Stay tuned for more wine-related posts to come, including which glasses to use, how to pour and test wine, and opening a champagne bottle. These skills can help you when networking in your future career…something every college girl should know.