How to Deal With a Stuck Wine Cork
Old or dried-out corks sometimes crumble or slip into the bottle. The bits of cork can pollute the wine and its flavor. But you can salvage that vintage for your dining pleasure. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Slowly pour the wine into a pitcher or wine decanter. If the cork is the first thing to pop out and you don't see any floating debris, your problem is solved.
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2
If the cork has crumbled, remove cork debris by placing a finemesh strainer over the pitcher or decanter before you pour the wine into it. Taste-test the wine before serving it to make sure it isn't spoiled.
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3
If appropriate, serve the wine directly from the pitcher or decanter. If you prefer to use the original bottle, proceed to step 4.
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4
Form a narrow noose on one end of a 15-inch (38-cm) piece of medium-gauge wire, then bend the noose so it looks like a soup ladle. Bend a tiny hook on the other end to prevent the wire from slipping into the bottle.
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5
Slip the noose end of the wire into the empty bottle.
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6
Turn the bottle upside down so the cork falls to the neck of the bottle.
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7
Pull the noose up to the neck and make sure it catches the cork.
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8
Gently tug the wire out of the bottle. It will drag the cork with it.
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9
Pour a tiny bit of wine back into the bottle and swill it around to capture any remaining bits of cork. Pour this wine out.
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10
Place a funnel in the bottle and pour the wine back into the bottle. Pour slowly at a horizontal angle to minimize disturbance to the wine.
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Tips & Warnings
If you open a lot of old bottles of wine, buy a cork hook designed to remove corks from bottles. Also, a butler's friend--a twin-bladed cork puller--lifts the cork from the sides, easing the removal of disintegrating corks.
Comments
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Nov 22, 2005
Simply take a straw over the cork pieces, place your finger over it, and move it to a sink. That'll catch the cork pieces and release them where they can be safely disregarded. This way is much easier and less time consuming. -
Nov 22, 2005
Simply take a straw over the cork pieces, place your finger over it, and move it to a sink. That'll catch the cork pieces and release them where they can be safely disregarded. This way is much easier and less time consuming.
