How To Open Wine Without a Corkscrew

There was a point where I lived in a warehouse with a bunch of other rag-tag artist individuals. None of us were particularly wealthy, but a lot of us did enjoy our wines. But, unlike the 40s of malt liquor we often drank, wine wasn't always easy to open unless it was the cheap stuff that came in boxes.

As a result, all of us became pretty well-versed in how to open wine without a corkscrew. If you find yourself sans corkscrew, using one of these methods will help you get to enjoying booze in a pinch.

The Knife Method

The Knife Method only requires a small knife, like a pocket knife. Jam the knife deep into your wine cork and start slowly turning it around. Slowly, start to angle the knife and pull the cork out. After the cork budges out about a quarter of the way, remove the knife and use your fingers to pull the cork out completely.

Though the Knife Method works fairly well, it's worth noting that knives are sharp and if you mess up, you can end up hurting yourself or someone else. Or, if you have a cheap knife, you might end up with a broken knife.

If you're still learning how to open wine without a corkscrew, you might want to be careful with this method. Better yet, you might want to choose a safer method.

The Push Method

The Push Method works by just grabbing a screwdriver or the handle of a wooden spoon, then using it to push the cork into the wine bottle. If you don't like the idea of cork bits getting into your wine, this might not be an ideal method.

However, it is the easiest method you can use. That's why most articles that tell you how to open wine without a corkscrew will lead (and finish) with this method.

The String Method

If you can't stand having to deal with broken corks in wine bottles, and really have a thing about opening wine in a "fancy" way, you can use the String Method. For this, you'll need a screwdriver and a piece of string.

A lot of my friends know how to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew using the String Method, but frankly, I've never quite mastered it as well as they have. To do this, punch a hole all the way through the cork. Then, tie a knot at the end of the string.

Using the screwdriver, push the string all the way through the wine bottle. Then, use your end of the string to pull out the cork. Ta-da! Your wine is opened and it has little to no cork bits in it.

The Smack Method

If you're really low on screwdrivers and knives, you can still learn how to open wine without a corkscrew. However, this may cause damage to your table, wall, or wine bottles. If you mess up, you may end up having a doozy of a cleanup—so practice outside.

Wrap a towel around the wine bottle. Smack the wine bottle against a flat surface while holding the bottle horizontally. The force from the smacks will make the cork jut out, and that eventually will give you enough cork to pull out the rest.

A DIY Corkscrew

Yes, technically this shouldn't be in an article on how to open wine without a corkscrew. However, it technically still works, since you are making the corkscrew.

To do this, you'll need a screw and a hammer. Screw the wine into the cork—ideally, it'll be deep enough to be somewhat significantly in the wine bottle with the head sticking out. Then, use the hammer to "unscrew" the bottle's cork.

It's just that simple!