This time I want to show you how to open a bottle of wine.

Strangely the corkscrew seems to have been invented before we started to put corks in bottles. The corkscrew 'helix' was used to get wadding and things from muskets or to broach casks. Over the years various devices have been patented to help us get at the wine in the bottle and though some are very good I don't think that anyone has yet invented the perfect, foolproof corkscrew.

Here we can see a number of different corkscrews.
Clockwise from the bottom left are:
A two pronged 'Butler's Friend' So called because expert users can remove and replace acork  without leaving a mark on the cork.
Then there are two 'Waiter's Friend' type corkscrews. So called because the knife and screw  fold away and can be carried easily in the pocket.
Over to the right is the 'Lazy Fish' corkscrew. This corkscrew, shaped like a fish, has a spring  action lever system that can make extracting corks more easy.
Next is a simple pocket corkscrew, based on a French design that uses a screw, like a wood  screw, rather than an open helix.
Below that is a special set of tongs used to open a champagne or sparkling wine.
Next to that is one of the original 'screwpull' designs using a teflon coated helix to slip into  the cork easily.
Finally, in the centre is 'the beast'. A professional 'bar top' automatic cork extractor that also  removes the cork from the screw, readying its self for the next bottle.

I'm going to look at opening a bottle with a 'waiter's friend' corkscrew as used by the the Vinopolis tasting team.

Using the blade cut through the foil under the rim of the bottle's neck.

With a bit of practice the top can be cleanly removed.
If the bottle is old you might find some dirt on top of the cork.
This should be wiped off now so that it cannot fall into the wine.

Insert the point of the corkscrew into the centre of the cork.
It is important to think in straight lines from now on.
The cork went into the bottle in a straight line and should come out the same way.

Gently twist the corkscrew and let it drive into the cork.
Remember to keep the screw vertical and straight.
If the screw goes in at an angle you run the danger of hitting the side of the neck of the bottle.
If this happens you run the risk of dragging the part of the cork not supported by the screw. If  this happens you may snap the cork and leave some stuck in the bottle neck.


Here you can see that the corkscrew is fully inserted into the cork.
Be careful not to to drive the corkscrew in too far. If it comes out the bottom of the cork you  could get bits of cork dropping into the wine. This won't look pleasant when you pour the  first glass out.

Now hook the end of the lever onto the lop of the bottle.

Covering the end of the lever with one hand, if it slips off the bottle it can smart, grasp the  other end of the corkscrew and lift up and slightly forward. This keeps the cork straight. If the  cork bends it could snap.

Slowly draw the cork out, keeping it straight.

Gently twist and lift the cork from the bottle.

Pour a well deserved glass of wine.