Wine bottle cork problems!?

Stop buying wine with those plasticy/rubbery corks !

Get used to synthetic corks. We have done a pretty good job of destroying the trees that produce the bark for corks. My all out favorite corkscrew is the waiter's corkscrew try to find one with a wide enough shelf to just fit over the lip of the bottle, too big and it will impede the cork removal, too small it will slip and possibly break the neck. If you can find one with a serrated knife grab a couple there cheap. Hint: When you put your hand around the neck of the bottle, brace your thumb against the "fulcrum" (the silver part that has the shelf) and apply pressure as you pull the cork out. What you are doing is keeping the corkscrew somewhat straight up and down.

Some winemakers started using the synthetic corks to avoid the contamination of the wine caused by TCA-contaminated corks.

I have to agree that sunthetic corks are very hard to handle. But there are different types of corkscrews to use.

Rated as the best by almost all professionals is the WAITER's CORKSCREW. This is the conventional corksrew except that it is double action. The first action pulls the cork halfway; then, the second action pulls the cork all the way by a very simple hand movement as you manipulate the corksrew. It may sound complicated as I explain it, but it is really easy once you have the waiters corksrew.

Another handy gadget is call RABBIT (looks like bunny ears). It may be a little pricy but it works real easy.

Instead of using the corkscrew your using go back to the old fashioned corkscrew and twist the bottle instead. The plastic corks sweat and you are fighting against the bottle and the cork.

The problem is that "wonderful corkscrew" you have. If it isn't removing the cork, it isn't "wonderful." Shiny handles, moving parts, and an expensive price tag doesn't do the job.

Simplify your life...Fine wine comes in bottles with twist off caps. MD 20/20, Wild Irish Rose, Night Train. Don't forget the Cisco! No need for a special gadget for the good stuff.

It sounds like you simply need a different cork screw. They are not all created equal and some do remove the corks better than others.

Believe it or not, I've found the most reliable corkscrew to be the one on my Swiss army knife.

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Synthetic closures can be more difficult in general than cork. If your wing corkscrew has an auger type worm than can contribute by just "digging" a hole in the closeure. You will generally do better with a pigtail style worm which when inserted is more secure and much less likely to slip. The wing type pullers are made in both styles. Good luck and cheers!

PS: Don't be afraid of screw tops there are LOTS of good wines finished with them.

Perhaps if you get one of those tined cork removers.

It has thin blades that you wiggle between the cork and the bottlethen twist out

buy a double lever corkscrew at your liquor store, it gets the job done, they are about 10.00.

Stop buying cheap wine.