The Absolute Best Tool For Opening Vintage Wine

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Whether you've been saving a special bottle of wine for decades or have splurged on a high quality vintage and are ready to drink it the same day, nothing stings quite like a cork disaster. While some corks come out with ease, others have to be pried out with force, only to disintegrate into the bottle. It's an all too common scenario, which is why wine connoisseurs might want to have a tool on hand that opens vintages without risking cork issues.

Enjoying a vintage wine can be a delightful experience for the senses, but the corks in decades-old bottles can break down over time and become brittle. Using a regular corkscrew wine opener might cause an older cork to split or crumble. However, the Ah-So Wine Bottle Opener works differently than a typical corkscrew opener. It has prongs that are inserted on each side of the cork, and instead of twisting into the cork, you just lift the cork out. While you might've made the mistake of spending more than $10 on a corkscrew in the past, you don't have to worry about that with this wine bottle opener: The Ah-So runs for just $6.98. A number of reviewers say it really works, giving the Ah-So Wine Bottle Opener five stars. "Easy to master, super affordable, and no more half corks to try to get out of, or push into, the bottle," wrote one shopper on Amazon. Another five-star reviewer enthused, "It saves an older cork from possibly crumbling or worse only partially coming out." 

The Monopol Westmark Germany Steel Two-Prong Cork Puller with Cover is another option for opening vintage wines. Like the Ah-So, it has prongs that go on each side of the cork, and you can even use it for carefully inserting the cork back into the bottle.

If you are in a situation where you don't have any tools on hand, there are ways to open a cork without a corkscrew, including a free hack. Put the neck of the bottle under hot running water for about 30 seconds. This will cause the glass to expand, which may help loosen the cork. However, if you've tried various cork removal methods but still end up with a crumbled or split cork that has fallen into the bottle, don't despair, as the wine isn't ruined. Try a simple trick to get a broken cork out of a wine bottle. Pour the wine into a decanter covered with cheesecloth, a mesh sieve, or even a coffee filter. This will help strain out cork pieces and other sediment so you can fully enjoy your vintage wine.