Opening a bottle of wine.

Wine enjoyment starts here, with the first introduction of a vintage to the open air and soon with your taste buds. While often a simple task, there are a few tips that will ensure you get a "clean" open every time and nothing to spoil your experience.

Getting the bottle prepared.

It is imperative to make sure the wine is at the correct temperature before beginning the process of uncorking the bottle. So either put that bottle of white on the door of the refrigerator for an hour or two, or make sure the red has warmed or chilled to serving temperature (we prefer about 60 F). For older vintages it is important to be gentle with the bottle at this point, you do not want to disturb any sediments and wind up with an off flavor in the grit from the bottom.

Starting from the top

Most people, including in most restaurants, remove just the top potion of the foil covering the cork. Our policy is to remove the entire foil as to not give any dirt, dust, or sediment form your cellar the opportunity to get into the glass upon pouring. Older wines are especially prone to depositing "silt" into the glass if you are not careful. After removing the foil then inspect the cork for any crusty deposit of wine that has leaked out and clean it off before grabbing the corkscrew. Since the wine was likely not free, treat it with a little extra care its value deserves.

Pulling the cork

Depending on the style corkscrew you use you will have various methods to employ. Some basic tips that apply to all corkscrews (except the dishonest butler type) are

Make sure the corkscrew in centered on the cork and does not penetrate the side of the cork
Twist the corkscrews until it is completely embedded in the cork to prevent pulling only half the cork
Slowly but firmly apply pressure to the levers, wings, or other mechanism that removes the cork. Go to fast and you risk a break-off.
Keep up the pressure until the cork has cleared the bottle top completely.

Enjoyment

You are now ready to reap the rewards that started life as a vineyard full of grapes in in the hot fields, proceeded under the watchful eye of the skilled vintner, and now will end the cycle in you glass.