I went to open a bottle of wine this evening (Zinfadel - I’m a classy lady) and I screwed the corkscrew in, unscrewed it in the customary manner… and the cork stayed there, but just looks a little chewed up now. I did it again and the cork now looks more chewed and screwed.
So the cork is still in place, but now with a corkscrew hole through the middle of it. It’s nice wine (It’s not vintage or anything, but it’s nice) and I don’t want to throw it away because I can’t get it open. There isn’t enough room next to the hole to accommodate another attempt at screwing and uncorking, but the wine doesn’t come through the hole… what do I do? Do I push it through? And with what? Other suggestions?
If you have a reasonably sharp knife that will fit in the neck of the bottle you can cut the cork into quarters and a.) extract the pieces with a for or b.) push them through and watch for 'em making their exit as you pour. Don’t push the whole thing through - it’ll drive you nuts when you try to pour.
The type of “cork-remover” I use is called a Butler’s buddy, and sometimes an ah-so.
It has no screw. it has 2 little thin metal “strips” that slide down on either side of the cork and breaks the seal. After that, you kinda wiggle it out and the cork comes with it.
This is probably what I’ll do. I figure that the hole is merely letting the wine breathe a little - it was opened only tonight and we shall be drinking it tonight - so there’s no damage done. I think it was the fault of my 20-year-old corkscrew rather than the cork itself, so the wine’s okay.
Pesch - hell , I was going to drink the whole bottle anyway. Hee.
It has been suggested that I push the cork through with a screwdriver, but I’m not sure as to the mechanics of that - wouldn’t a screw-driver just dig more holes into the cork?
And Rue - wine-inna-box is surely the classiest thing invented. Press the little button and out comes the wine. Genius! Who cares about taste when you’ve got convenience and a little button to press?
[sub]White Zinfandel aka “spread your legs” wine.[/sub]
I say you should try to make the hole in the cork bigger than it already is and pour through that. Then if you don’t finish all of the wine you can plug it up with some Saran Wrap and a rubber band. Then again I have never seen a zinfindel that cost over $20(ever a 10 year old zin) so I think your pretty safe either way.
Careful TLD, I reckon a quick fossick through your SDMB posts would find more than enough evidence to get you thrown out of the fibro’s union permanently.
Wouldn’t even rule out the possibility you’re actually are a clandestine Manly supporter.
[sub] woolly pulls his Geelong footy jumper over his head in the hope TLD will confuse ignorance with cowardise. [/sub]