Wine Know-How

Do Wine Aerators Actually Work?
Yes, on some wines, and less than the box claims on others. What aeration really does, which bottles benefit, and decanter vs in-line aerator. Read more...
Wine Foil Cutters: What They Do, and Which One to Buy
How a foil cutter works, why you cut below the lip rather than above it, and whether you need one at all. Read more...
Winged vs Waiter's Corkscrew: Which One Should You Own?
The difference is the worm, not the handle. Why winged openers fail on old corks, why the second hinge matters, and when a corkscrew is still the right buy. Read more...
The Best Wine Openers, Compared: Five Types, Honestly Rated
Air pressure, waiter's, winged, ratchet and electric openers compared on the things that decide it: old corks, hand strength, price and what fits a pocket. Read more...
What Temperature Should Wine Actually Be Served At?
Most bottles are served ten to fifteen degrees out. Here are the numbers, and the two free fixes. Read more...
The Cork Broke. Here's How to Get It Out — and Why It Happened
Half the cork is out and the rest is crumbs. How to rescue the bottle, why it broke, and how to stop breaking them. Read more...
Cork Pops Refill Cartridges: What Fits, How Many Bottles, and What's Inside
One cartridge fits every Cork Pops opener ever made, and opens roughly 60 to 80 bottles. What fits what, what the gas actually is, and how to tell when one is running out. Read more...
How to Open Wine Without a Corkscrew: 7 Methods
You have a bottle, no corkscrew, and people waiting. Here are seven methods, ranked by how well they actually work — plus two that circulate widely and shouldn't. A word before you start: the cork is wedged in glass under compression, and glass under stress breaks. Take the extra thirty seconds. A cut hand is a much worse evening than a closed bottle. 1. The screw and claw hammer Works reliably. Best option if you have a toolbox. Drive a long wood screw two-thirds of the way into the cork,... Read more...
Wine Openers for Arthritis and Weak Grip
Most wine openers ask two things of your hands: grip the bottle hard enough to hold it still, and pull hard enough to break the seal on a cork that has been wedged in glass for years. For a lot of people, one or both of those is the problem. This guide covers what each type of wine opener actually demands of your hands, which designs remove those demands, and what to look for if twisting and pulling have become uncomfortable. No medical advice — just an honest look at... Read more...
How Air Pressure Wine Openers Work
Search for an "air pressure wine opener" and you'll find forum threads, a barbecue supply store and a lot of confusion about what's actually inside the cartridge. Here's how these openers really work, why they treat corks so differently, and where they fall short. The short version A needle goes through the cork. A small, measured amount of gas is released underneath it. The pressure lifts the cork out of the neck. Nothing screws into the cork and nothing pulls on it. That single difference — pushing from below instead... Read more...
The 5 Types of Wine Opener, Compared
There are five genuinely different ways to get a cork out of a bottle. Everything on the shelf is a variation on one of them. This guide explains how each works, what it demands of you, where it fails, and who it suits — so you can stop buying openers and buy the right one. The five types, at a glance Type How it removes the cork Effort Breaks corks? Waiter's corkscrew Screw in, lever against the lip, pull High Sometimes Winged corkscrew Screw in, press two wings down Medium–high... Read more...
Wine Lies EXPOSED: 7 Shocking Myths You've Been Swallowing!
Wine Lies EXPOSED: 7 Shocking Myths You've Been Swallowing!
Hold onto your wine glasses, folks! We're about to spill the truth on some of the juiciest myths that have been swirling around our beloved vino. From rosé rumors to... Read more...