How do you open wine without a corkscrew?

The safest way is to drive a screw into the cork and pull it out with pliers or the claw of a hammer; if that fails, push the cork down into the bottle with the handle of a wooden spoon.

No corkscrew, a bottle in hand, guests arriving. You almost certainly have what you need in a kitchen drawer or toolbox. Go slow, keep your hands away from the glass, and skip anything that involves heat or hitting the bottle.

Best method: Screw plus pliers or hammer claw
Backup method: Push the cork in with a wooden spoon handle
Time needed: About 2–5 minutes
Skip: Knives, lighters and banging the bottle

Screw and pliers (the best bet)

Take a regular wood screw, about 1½ to 2 inches long, and twist it into the center of the cork with a screwdriver until about a half inch is still sticking out. Grip the screw head with pliers, or hook it with the claw of a hammer, and pull straight up slowly.

Hold the bottle on a counter, not between your knees, and pull with steady pressure rather than a yank. If the cork starts to crumble, stop and switch to the next method.

Push the cork in

Set the bottle on the counter, place the end of a wooden spoon handle or a thick marker on the cork, and press down firmly and steadily until it drops into the wine. It takes more force than you'd think, so do it over the sink in case wine splashes up.

The cork will float and bob around as you pour. That's fine; pour slowly or through a strainer. Never try this with sparkling wine, which is under pressure.

Methods we'd skip

Prying with a knife can slip and cut you. Heating the neck with a lighter can crack the glass. The viral trick of tapping the bottle base inside a shoe against a wall can work, but it also risks breaking the bottle in your hands, so it is not worth it.

Easiest fix for next time: lots of good wine comes with a screw cap now, and a $10 waiter's corkscrew lives happily in any drawer.

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Last checked 2026-10-18.