My trick for removing wine bottle covers
Last week, Amie and I ordered a bottle of wine at a restaurant.
The server came over, bottle in hand, and chiseled away at the aluminum bottle cover. He cut a ring around it, but not deep enough, because the cap wouldn't come off. Then he jabbed at the top of it and peeled away a few flecks of foil.
Meanwhile, we were sitting there silently, waiting and watching.
At last, he got enough of the cover off to remove the cork, poured us some and left.
I sat there wondering why he'd gone to all the time and effort when there's a much easier way to get the cover off ...
Most wine bottle caps are made of some kind of aluminum, a thicker version than straight aluminum foil. They're not glued onto the glass, just wrapped tightly around it.
To remove the cap, just get a firm grip on it, briefly twist left and right and then yank it off. No need to fuss with knives and such. I discovered this in a bout of frustration with a particularly resistant cap. I got pissed with it and, in my rage, slid it off.
If this is something you already know, my apologies for wasting your time. But everyone who has seen me do it has said something like 'Oh, I didn't know that slid off.' So now you know.
This trick works best with the thicker aluminum caps, which are on most corked bottles. The thinner ones can be a bit tougher to get off.
Voila!
(Photos by me)
Erik Maza is a features reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He writes for several sections of the Sun paper and contributes weekly columns on music and nightlife. He also writes and edits the Midnight Sun blog. He often covers entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. Occasionally, he writes about Four Loko, The Block, the liquor board, and those who practice "
Comments
thanks for the tip!
Posted by: Matt K | July 26, 2010 10:50 AM
Magic! Sam removes Foil AND Cork in one fell swoop!
Posted by: The Tin Man | July 26, 2010 10:58 AM
Heh, yeah ... I definitely took this photo after the cork had been removed. Sorry for the confusion.
Posted by: Sam Sessa | July 26, 2010 10:59 AM
Remove foil by pulling up.
Put bottle in hard-soled shoe.
Bang against wall.
Repeat as necessary.
Pull cork out with teeth.
Drink.
I owe this blog only a few things, and #1 has to be how to drink a bottle of wine when no tools are available.
Posted by: Stagger Lee | July 26, 2010 12:43 PM
Great Tip! That's my method of choice to remove foil. I find that the Napa foils come off pretty easy, but the Italian Chianti wine foils are a little tougher.
Posted by: Rhino Wine Gear | July 26, 2010 9:51 PM
Quality foil cutters can easily remove the foil caps. Some corkscrews come with foil cutters.
Posted by: Nicole | December 22, 2010 4:33 PM