Shoe As Corkscrew: Pat’s How-To Video

Wednesday, 14 July 2010 | by Pat's Picks

Two days ago I posted a quirky French video clip showing a technique to pop the cork from a bottle of wine when you’re caught without a corkscrew. It looked fun so I posted it. But I didn’t try it myself until today.

The concept, as explained in the French clip, is simple. You place the bottle of wine in a shoe to cushion it, then bump it against a wall to use the pressure inside the bottle to nudge the cork loose.

I went down the street to buy two of the cheapest bottles I could find with corks. At $9,99 they both turned out to have plastic corks. I bought white to avoid a laundry bill if there was a mishap.

The result: the French guy is legit. It works. But it’s not easy. I’ve prepared my own how-to video. Watch me as I damage my wall and my shoe in the name of science: