Wifey Wednesday

And we're back with Wifey Wednesday! This evening I'm offering a tip you certainly don't want to miss. It's the perfect skill every hostess--wife or not--simply must master: properly opening a bottle of wine.

Don't be intimidated if you've never tried it. It's really quite simple once you get the hang.

Firstly, I recommend purchasing a waiter's cork-screw for quick opening. This tool can take you through the entire process, using just one little gadget.



To begin, cut the label off at the top using the tiny blade on the handle end of your cork-screw:



This gives you access to the cork, which is where you'll place the end of the screw:




Start twisting. Go slowly. If you've miscalculated the exact center, you can always *gently* pull out and try again. This step and the next are KEY. If you tear the cork on your way down or back up, you'll end up with a corked bottle, which is really unpleasant (aka: your guests will be scooping pieces of the cork out of their glasses all night long... not classy).

Once the entire screw has entered the cork, use the lever built into your cork-screw to help you pull the entire cork out:

You did it!


Now it's time to pour and enjoy. We'll have Wine Tasting 101 sometime soon :)

Some accessories to consider purchasing are: a magnetic drip stopper--great for keeping drips of wine from staining your counters and dining table-- and a wine stopper--perfect for keeping your bottle from airing out too much in-between pours (you can see mine there in the tray above).

You can also find a little wine kit like this:



It's your one-stop shop with a super easy opener and all the bells and whistles.

PS- the wine we've used in this post today is Atteca Old Vines 2007. A 90-point Wine Spectator selection! My Dad has a knack for excellent wines in reasonable price ranges. Maybe we can hear from him sometime. Good find, Dad!