how to remove a cork

Let's say someone hands you a sealed bottle of wine with a diamond in it. He tells you "If you can remove the diamond without breaking the bottle, you can keep it."

Unfortunately you have absolutely no tools available: no corkscrew, no knife, no screwdriver, no gum, no fingernails or teeth, no paper, nothing. How do you do it?

My son helped bottle some apple wine (hard cider) and gave us a bottle for Christmas. I did something to the bottle (using just my hands). Eventually, the cork came out.

What did I do? Here's the answer.

by Guy T. Schafer
(First published January 20, 2005)