10 Ultimate Life Hacks Every Wine Connoisseur Should Know
There is nothing better than a glass of good wine with a delicious dinner after a long day. And nothing should spoil this pleasure! Here are 10 wine life hacks that will make you drinking experience less burdensome. Thank me later!
1. No Corkscrew Needed
All you need for this trick is a ribbon and a little effort. Firstly, push the cork inside the bottle with something sturdy and, long and strong, like a pencil. Fold the ribbon in half with the loop down and move it under the cork so that the ribbon is underneath the cork. Hold the bottle with one hand and firmly pull the ends of the ribbon get the cork out. Well done!
2. Cool It Down
…with some salt! Yes, you heard me right. To cool down your bottle of wine as quickly as possible, put it in a bucket of ice and salt. Salt tends to speed up the freezing so that when the ice begins to melt – the water in the bucket will remain cold!
3. Milk
What milk has to do with wine drinking, you might ask? Apparently, it helps remove the stains from red wine! For one os these wine life hacks, don’t wait for long: pour some milk on it and let it soak while the wine stain has not had time to dry out completely. Wait for approximately an hour later, then wash it out with water. Magical, isn’t it?
4. Cat litter
This wine life hack is for all the cat owners out here. To get rid of a wine stain, use cat litter! Put a 1-cm thick layer of cat litter on top of the stain so that it is pressed tightly against the fabric. Wait for a few minutes, then remove the cat litter from the fabric with a vacuum cleaner. Believe it or not, it works!
5. Wine Ice Cubes
If you ever lived in a cold climate, you would remember how back in the days, when you were a little kid, you would make colorful ice cubes and take them outdoors to put on the trees covered with snow. Now you are an adult – time to make wine ice cubes! Pour the remainder of the wine left in the bottle after dinner into an ice mold and freeze. Wine ice cubes can be used in cooking.
6. Keep It Fresh
An open bottle of red wine should be stored at a temperature no higher than 20 ° C. Do not ever hold the wine in the draught and/or in the direct sunlight. Also, try and not to store the bottles in a horizontal position. But ideally, avoid storing open wine bottles at all unless you have a special wine cooler.
7. Keep It Closed
One of the most simple wine life hacks that people tend to neglect or forget about is to make sure the wine bottle is not opened throughout your drinking experience. Make sure you cap the bottle with a cork every time you fill up your glass. If you then put the wine in the fridge or a wine cooler, it will last you for another 3 to 5 days.
8. Shoe trick
If you don’t have a corkscrew or a ribbon (check life hack number 1) on you, this wine life hack that will help you open a bottle of wine only requires…a shoe! Put the bottle inside the show and press the bottom against the insole. Hold the neck of the bottle with one hand and hold the shoe toe with another hand. Knock the sole of the shoe against a wall or the floor. As soon as the cork comes out of the neck and loosens up, pull it out. It’s easier than you think!
9. Price Tip
Remember: prices are not always good indicators of quality; especially when it comes to wine. Believe it or not, the same wine may cost differently in two different stores because the total cost depends entirely on the retailer.
10. Wine Scores
One of the most essential wine life hacks you should take into account is to learn wine scores. In case you have an official dinner coming up and there is no good sommelier around – read a wine guide (Wine Spectator, for example) and surprise your guests with your profound wine knowledge.
