Whether you're winding down or entertaining friends, if wine is involved, you'll need a wine opener. From electric to winged corkscrew, there are a few different types of wine openers; all serve the same purpose and are great to have around your home, even if you are not an avid wine drinker. Keep reading to find out how to use a wine opener, no matter the type.

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How to Use a Wine Opener

There are three common wine openers: winged corkscrew, wine key and electrical. While they're all similar, each operates differently.

Winged Corkscrew

Winged (or traditional) corkscrews have two levers, a worm that looks like a long spiral, a metal ring that sits along the outer rim of your wine bottle and a bottle opener that also acts as a handle. Before using your wine opener, remove the outside foil from your wine bottle.

How to Use a Winged Corkscrew

Step 1. Place the round metal ring on the opener over the wine bottle rim. The two levers should be pointing down.
Step 2. Grip the bottle opener on the top of the opener and start to turn clockwise. As you turn the bottle opener handle, the worm works its way into the cork and the levers will start to rise.
Step 3. Keep turning until the levers are all the way up. Use your other hand to help support the metal ring on the bottle, keeping it firmly in place.
Step 4. Let go of the ring and use both hands to press both levers down at the same time.
Step 5. Make sure both levers are pressed all the way down as this will pop the cork up.
Step 6. Grip the wine opener below the bottle opener and pull the cork out of the bottle. Twist the cork off of the worm to remove it from the wine opener.

Wine Key Opener

Wine key openers, also called double-hinged corkscrews, are small, making them a great travel-friendly option. The wine key opener has a foil cutter built in for removing the foil on your wine bottle. It has two levers – one to use as a handle and another with notches to place on the lip of your wine bottle. Like a winged opener, it has a spiral corkscrew called a worm. There is also a bottle cap remover on the top for glass beverage bottles.

How to Use a Wine Key Opener

Step 1. With bottle levers up, push the worm into the centre of the cork. While pushing down gently, twist the corkscrew in a clockwise motion until the worm is almost fully inside the cork.
Step 2. Using the lever with bottle notches, rest the small notch on the lip of the bottle. Press the lever in place with your thumb and hold the handle lever with your other hand.
Step 3. Pull up on the handle lever to remove the cork. Use the second notch on the lever by moving it to the tip of the wine bottle, this will help you pull the cork the rest of the way out.
Step 4. Pull the cork out of the bottle and take the cork off of the worm.

Electric Wine Opener

Electric wine openers do all the work for you, making it a breeze to open your preferred bottle of wine. They consist of the wine opener body with an opening on the bottom with a worm inside and an electric button to start and stop. They run off of batteries or can be charged on a base, depending on the style that you choose. Be sure to keep extra batteries around, so you can still open your bottle when the batteries run out.

How to Use an Electric Wine Opener

Step 1. Place the wine opener along the rim of the wine bottle, lining up the inner worm to the centre of the cork.
Step 2. Press the button and hold it down until the cork has been removed from the bottle.
Step 3. Remove the cork from the opener.

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