Ready for another round of life hacks? I hope so, because this infographic features 12 essential wine hacks every lover of a good tipple should know about. Created by UK-based appliance retailer Appliance City, it'll show you how to do everything from open a bottle of wine when you've mysteriously misplaced your corkscrew to make a cheap bottle of plonk taste way, way better. Talk about vital information for your everyday life, am I right?
Given the fact that we're all drinking more wine these days, it's definitely worth adding a few tips and tricks to your boozy arsenal. You never know when you might need to quickly chill some too-warm white, whip up a quick dessert, or yank out a cork via some unusual methods, so why not brush up on the hacks seen here? I've highlighted five of the ones I found most useful below; scroll down to see the full infographic. Bottoms up!
1. To Open a Bottle of Wine without a Corkscrew:
You can employ a huge number of creative solutions (all of which should only be executed with the greatest of care!) — but my personal favorite is this: Drill a hole in the cork; then feed in the tube from a bike pump. As you pump, the cork will allegedly begin to rise. It sounds like a lot of trouble to go to in order to open a bottle (surely it would be quicker and less dangerous just to run down to the dollar store and get a cheap corkscrew), but, well… points for creativity.
2. What to Do with Leftover Wine:
OK, so yes, most of us probably see the words "leftover wine" and think, "No such thing!"... but for the sake of argument, picture this: You've finished off most of the bottle you opened the other night… but there's still a tiny bit left. It's not enough to make a satisfying glass, though, so what do you do (besides drink it anyway)? Easy: You pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze it for future use. That way, you'll always have some on hand for recipes that require it — shrimp scampi, baked salmon, pasta sauce, you name it.
3. To Chill White Wine Without Watering it Down:
Chill some white grapes. Not only will they chill your wine without adding any unfortunate additional water, but even better, it'll look super cool, too.
4. To Make a Cheap Red Taste Better:
Try whirling it around in a blender for 30 seconds. I can't promise this one will work, as I haven't tried it out myself — but rumor has it that aerating cheap reds will boost their flavor a little. It's still no substitute for good wine, but it's still worth a shot.
5. How to Tell Whether Your Wine Is Still Good:
Things I did not know until today include the fact that wine that's gone bad can smell like any of the following things: Cardboard, cooked cabbage, burnt rubber, a farmyard, and/or wet dog. This article from Vinepair suggests that only wines stopped with natural corks will suffer from these kinds of smells, but, well… you'd best be on the lookout regardless. The nose knows, right?
Check out the full infographic here:
Images: Giphy (2); Appliance City
