We were recently the recipients of a couple of bottles of excellent Swiss white wine (thanks Syd and Gundy!), a Humagne Blanche (fascinating: according to Wikipedia, “the total Swiss plantations of the variety in 2009 stood at 30 hectares (74 acres).” And a bottle of Aigle les Murailles. Both excellent, and mostly unknown outside of Switzerland.
These bottles had corks. I generally do not rue the transition to screw tops for wine, though I admit I don’t completely understand the ecological implications.
So, translate to Uruguay (and notice this has only been a recent issue): a nice Stagnari Chardonnay, produced maybe 45 km (28 miles) away, accompanied by Camembert and blue cheese. Sounds good, eh?
Well, yeah, except for one thing: can’t unscrew the top because it doesn’t separate from the part below. Hence, we have now as Essential Kitchen Equipment a pair of needle-nosed pliers to tear the top off in, inevitably, a half-dozen or more pieces.
Q: How do you say quality control in Latin America?
A: ¿Qué?
I’ve found that an old paring knife is the ideal tool for removing that lower part of the collar from a wine bottle.
I don’t have a paring knife. I had a nice Henckels 5-star, but it went missing. After my son went back to the States several years ago, I found it in the casita where he had lived. In the wood stove, obviously completely destroyed. Grrrr — thanks for reminding me :-O