Before you can appreciate wine, you must open it. In the past, this meant pulling out the cork from the glass bottle. Not so much today.

Broadly speaking, there are four types of sealed packaging for wine: cans, boxes, screw caps, and corks.

• Canned wine is a recent trend. It does not require special tools, is easy to recycle, and is safe around the swimming pool, with one serving in a can. Use the pull tab to open, the same as a beer can.

• Boxed wines have been around for some time, but in recent years there has been a shift from cheap Planck – although it still dominates this niche market – to higher quality wines. You have to mess up the box and tap, but once it's done, pouring the wine is easy, and if stored in the refrigerator, the wine can be kept for a month or more.

• Screw caps have also indicated cheap wine. no longer. Many high-quality wines, especially white or red wines suitable for young drinking, have screw caps. It's easy to open. Grasp the top with one hand and twist the bottle with the other.

• Cork stoppers, whether natural or man-made, are still the most common bottle caps, and glass bottles are the most common container. The opening shows a series of methods. The simplest and cheapest is the best-the double hinge "waiter's friend".

The operation is very simple. Use its serrated knife to cut the foil under the lip of the bottle. The technique of the sommelier is to cut one half, cut the other half in the opposite direction, and then cut to the center of the cork. The foil comes off cleanly. Alternatively, you can take a sharp knife, cut through the bottom of the foil, and then remove the entire capsule.

Next, insert the screw screw into the center of the bottle cap and rotate it six and a half turns, which will leave a spiral in the cork. Use the first lever to start pulling the cork-this requires the greatest effort. Then move to the full lever to almost remove the cork. Finally, loosen the cork by hand. Look, it's time to appreciate wine.

• Zardetto Z Prosecco Brut NV: The seductive, fruity, classic, clean and refreshing expression of Prosecco from a major manufacturer. 11-17 USD

• Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc, California 2019: An excellent introduction to Sauvignon Blanc. Easy to drink, especially suitable for white wine. 13-15 USD

• Hamel Family Wines Isthmus 2017: The outstanding efforts of a family team of serious and skilled grape growers and winemakers. 85-95 USD

Getting old is good. I now drink with my kids, not because of them.

Email: wine@cwadv.com. Newsletter: gusclemens.substack.com. Website: gusclemensonwine.com. Facebook: Gus Clemens talks about wine. Twitter: @gusclemens.

https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/zardetto-z-prosecco-brut-nv/#more-13954

https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/bonterra-sauvignon-blanc-california-2019/#more-13906

https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/hamel-family-wines-isthmus-2017/#more-13912