Have you ever been uncorking a bottle of wine and, hey bingo, the cork breaks apart? You try again but now the cork starts to really disintegrate and all you have are bits of cork and dust for your efforts. What do you do? This is where my uncool kitchen tool comes in very handy.
One option is to push the remaining cork down into the bottle. If you have a clean break, this might work, but usually the break is fairly messy and you end up with lots of little bits of cork floating in your wine bottle. If you pour this into your glass, odds are that the gritty bits of cork and cork dust will end up in your glass, and eventually in your mouth. I assure you, this is not a very pleasant taste or sensation.
My go-to solution is really basic but it works. All you need is a clean bowl, a kitchen sieve and a piece of cheesecloth or muslin. Simply pour the contents of the wine bottle into the bowl through the cheesecloth. Now you have a lovely clear wine and, you have aerated the wine as well. Talk about killing two birds with the one stone!
If you have a funnel you can always pour the clear wine back into the bottle to serve, or if not pour it into a jug or carafe and enjoy - cork free!
Related: Is Cork the Best Wine Stopper?
Mary Gorman-McAdams, MW (Master of Wine), is a New York based wine educator, freelance writer and consultant. In 2012 she was honored as a Dame Chevalier de L'Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne
(Images: Mary Gorman)
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Nothing uncool about saving bottle of wine! I opened a bottle a few nights ago and as I was pulling the cork up a big chunck of the bottle rim popped off. It seemed a fairly clean break, but I didn't want to take a chance -- so, I poured the wine through my Melitta coffee pot. And no, no one detected "hints of coffee"!
When I started making my own vanilla extract (via putting sliced/scraped vanilla beans into a bottle of vodka), I got a pouring spigot that has a built-in filter, which is primarily marketed to keep cork and sediment out of poured wine. It works great, is infinitely reusable, can field tiny quantities, and can go through the dishwasher. It's otherwise pretty much a unitasker, but it's easier, greener, and long-run cheaper than continuing to go through cheesecloth, and none of the vanilla is wasted.
Additionally, there is a product that has a fine mesh that is fits tightly into the neck of the wine bottle that serves as a filter and prevents even the tiniest bit of cork from going into the glass. You pour the wine directly with this inserted and no cork ends up in the glass. It even has a stopper on top to cap the wine if you don't drink the entire bottle. Never need that feature ~ ha!