So, you've got your favourite wine, and now you need to figure out how to open it. No worries, I've got you covered! First things first, you need to choose the right tool for the job. A trusty 'waiter's friend' should do the trick.

If your bottle has a foil seal, make sure to cut it on the second lip. This will prevent any pesky drips down the bottle. If the seal is wax, warm it up a bit with the palm of your hand and then use your waiter's friend to drive through the wax and into the cork. No need to cut the wax here.

Once you've got your waiter's friend in the middle of the cork, start twisting until you're almost at the very bottom of the cork. Then, place the lever on the edge of the lip and extend it. Keep the cork straight, and when you've maxed out the first lever, use the second one to extract the cork. Ta-da! Your wine is now open and ready to drink.

If your wine is on the older side (15-20 years), we recommend using an Ah-So or Durand to safely extract the cork in one piece. Nobody wants a broken cork ruining their wine, right? And speaking of corks, once you've got it out, take a good look at it. Is it soaked through? Do you see any mould or other unsavoury things? The cork can tell you a lot about how the wine has been stored over time.

And, of course, give your wine a good sniff. If there are no signs of seepage up the sides of the cork, you're probably in for a treat!

Now, what if the worst happens and you break the cork? Fear not! You can still salvage your wine. Use your waiter's friend to try and pull the remaining cork out. If that doesn't work, a Durand is your next best bet. And if all else fails, push the remaining cork into the bottle and strain the wine into a decanter or glass.

If all of the above isn’t possible just ring me, I’ll be there in a flash!

If you don't have a trusty waiter's friend, don't fret. There are some unconventional methods out there, like using a blow torch or an electric drill, screw and hammer. But let's be real, those are best left for dramatic situations (or not attempted at all). The simplest alternative is to buy a bottle with a screw cap. Just twist and you're good to go!

Do you have your own tried-and-true method for opening a bottle of wine? Let us know in the comments. Happy cork pulling, and enjoy those wines!