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The Dangers In Opening Corked Wine Bottles

  • 17-06-2004 07:36PM
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8


    Imagine this, all because I was trying to drink a glass of wine.

    As described in ads, TV, doctors, etc one glass a wine a day could keep you healthy, wise and keep the doctor away.

    Now, my life has been turned upside down. Merely by trying to open a corked bottle of wine. Now I have traumatic injuries sustained by the myth that corked wine is of better quality, has better preservative, etc. The general pubic is under the assumption that wine is better quality and that is why wine companies sell the majority of corked wine. They sell more product and get more money.
    Bottom line, more money and no consideration as to the safety of the general public.
    By being a consumer, giving them my money, and pulling a cork that appears too large for the bottle and or a defective glass bottle, I am now going to be somewhat defective myself. When I was pulling the cork, the neck snapped off the bottle and forced my hand into the 3/8" jagged edge on the shoulder of the bottle and, in a split second, I am now disabled. The bottle sliced into the palm on my hand severed muscles, 2 tendons, and several nerves. What ever else is in the width of the palm.
    Now with one disabled hand and a middle finger standing straight as I gesture the world daily, it is quite humiliating. Not to mentioned that my hand has very little strength and will only bend half way with the finger protruding outward. No guitar playing, piano, golfing or simple trying to get something out on you own pocket since the middle finger is the longest and is in the way of everything else. These are only a few things the hand has use for. On the computer, which I use for my job and my life, I am a one handed "pecker" instead of a two handed typist.

    I am posting this information so the general public will be imformed about some of the dangers in opening corked bottles. These companies are not disclosing or posting warning of dangers. They are also not including information about tainted wine from corks after research. Corked wine has been an issue for sometime with no attempt to warn the public.

    I personally have talked to many different people and almost every 99% have said the have experienced or seen individuals having problems opening corked wine. They have seen edges break and chip, corks breaking off or some people can not pull the cork out of the bottle so they drive the cork into the bottle. Some people try pulling the cork form holding the bottle under the arm or between their legs, if the bottle broke, it could slice the main artery and could possibility bleed to death. The wine companies need to get with the program, and cap the wine or box it and put warning labels and instructions on every bottle. Put the public's safety first instead of the profit in there pockets. Safety first, anyone else with injuries like mine can help me post this though out cyber space to help warn others


«13

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 989 ✭✭✭MrNuked


    Buckfast: "One glass three times a day"

    Don't drink buckfast.

    In second year of college I lived witha guy who was missing most of a finger. I had presumed he'd lost it from cancer because I had known someone who lost fingers and had been told it was from cancer. Then he told me he cut it off with a jigsaw while he was drunk. I laughed.

    If it was really was the fault of the bottlers that you got hurt, you should absolutely certainly and resolutely take legal action.
    If you're just making this up then take legal action anyway.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,113 ✭✭✭chrismon


    thanks for the tip
    i will be more careful with my wine from now on :dunno:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,192 ✭✭✭Unpossible


    were you using just a corkscrew and pulling the cork straight out? I can see why those fancy corkscews with the arms are a good idea now


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 42,361 ✭✭✭✭Beruthiel


    Originally posted by RCCOLA
    The wine companies need to get with the program, and cap the wine or box it and put warning labels and instructions on every bottle. Put the public's safety first instead of the profit in there pockets. Safety first, anyone else with injuries like mine can help me post this though out cyber space to help warn others

    philistine!
    There is no such thing as a substitute for the cork!
    a poor work man blames his tools
    I have opened more bottles of wine than I care to mention, with the right attitude, the correct bottle opener and a gentle touch, any bottle can be opened successfully

    signed
    wine drinker specialist


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,264 ✭✭✭✭Hobbes


    Sounds snopish.


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  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 2,687 Mod ✭✭✭✭Morpheus


    Jesus folks, the guy made a mistake, he's disabled for life and this is how you reply to his advice?
    philistine!
    There is no such thing as a substitute for the cork!
    a poor work man blames his tools
    I have opened more bottles of wine than I care to mention, with the right attitude, the correct bottle opener and a gentle touch, any bottle can be opened successfully

    Stupid smart comments about how if somethings done right, blah blah blah, no sympathy whatsoever? Pious pr*ks. Hindsight is a great thing to have. I hope nothing like this ever happens anyone else. Just be glad it wasnt you, defective glass bottles are NOT impossible, remember that next time you pop the cork.

    Man im sorry for you, I dont think i could cope if it happened me. The corkscrews with the arms are probably the safest, and the ones i shall continue to use.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,192 ✭✭✭Unpossible


    a poor work man blames his tools
    Just out of couriosity RCCOLA, how exactly were you trying to open it? for the neck to snap it sounds like you were pulling sideways or trying to lever the cork against the side of the bottle, If so then Im sorry for your loss but hopefully you learned your lesson: pull the cork directly up, or use the corkscew with those arms or some other mechanism.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,264 ✭✭✭✭Hobbes


    Chill.

    Cork in a bottle has nothing to do with the bottle breaking. Even the newer cork screws dont require any pressure on the bottle.

    The story is also an urban legand or Bullsh!t, or he is posting the same story all over the place.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 42,361 ✭✭✭✭Beruthiel


    Originally posted by Morphéus
    Stupid smart comments about how if somethings done right, blah blah blah, no sympathy whatsoever? Pious pr*ks

    deary me
    did someone get out of the wrong side of the bed this morning?
    it’s quite clear this thread was started in humour, maybe you should read it again?
    subtle humour may not be your thing but there is no need to go off the deep end there :rolleyes:

    Hobbes
    I’m an apprentice snob, but I’m working hard on it :p


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 25,000 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    Strangely, I have yet to find a better corkscrew than the one on my penknife. Most of those ones with the arms have a shite grip and more often than not I end up corking the wine, the "waiter's mate" types are a bastard for chipping bottles but the straight-forward corkscrew on a penknife never gives me any problems. Well done Victorinox: keeping it simple and effective.

    And I have to agree with Beruthiel: I've yet to taste a quality wine that's come from a screw-cap bottle!


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 68,173 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    Originally posted by Beruthiel
    deary me
    did someone get out of the wrong side of the bed this morning?
    it’s quite clear this thread was started in humour, maybe you should read it again?
    Clearly.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,522 ✭✭✭Dr. Loon


    Originally posted by Sleepy
    I've yet to taste a quality wine that's come from a screw-cap bottle!

    I have tasted many a fine wine from screw cap bottles, and bottles with little lids you just pop off. There is absolutely no difference in taste. Anyone who says there is is deluding themselves. Much in the same way, that people who say different colour smarties taste different are deluding themselves. Except of course, the orange smarty. Which does indeed taste different.

    What the hell am I on about?!!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 42,361 ✭✭✭✭Beruthiel


    Originally posted by Dr. Loon
    What the hell am I on about?!!

    Darned if I know Dr. Loony - which you clearly are btw....

    there is a huge difference between the taste of screw topped wine (which I call antifreeze-Bart Simpson went to France episode :D) and corked bottles
    perhaps we need to have a boards.ie wine tasting evening....


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 693 ✭✭✭Gyck


    Sounds snopish.

    It sure does...

    But I've wrestled with a few corks in my time and thought afterwards that I could have done some serious damage if the bottle broke.

    I use one of the screwpull openers. I've had it 6 years now, worth every penny (or cent).

    As for cork/synthetic cork/screwcap, I don't believe there's a difference in taste. Though I'd hate to see Champagne/sparkling wines use screwcaps, I love the ceremony associated with their opening. Of course, using a screwcap on a champagne bottle would probably not be a Methode Champenoise-type thing to do... ;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,313 ✭✭✭Paladin


    Funnily enough there was a big wine tasting thing about a year ago in Bordeaux, with lots of wine critics voting their favourite wine without seeing what wine it was.
    Turns out they all picked, on average, screw capped wines over corked. The famous wine critic Michel Rolland was amongst them.

    This was on sky news when I saw it btw.

    So I rekon people only say corks are better because they have been fooled into thinking they are because of image and not because of the taste.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,522 ✭✭✭Dr. Loon


    Originally posted by Paladin
    Funnily enough there was a big wine tasting thing about a year ago in Bordeaux, with lots of wine critics voting their favourite wine without seeing what wine it was.
    Turns out they all picked, on average, screw capped wines over corked. The famous wine critic Michel Rolland was amongst them.

    This was on sky news when I saw it btw.

    So I rekon people only say corks are better because they have been fooled into thinking they are because of image and not because of the taste.

    Precisely. It's just image. Like smarties.... eh... better not start on the smarties again.


  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 18,100 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    How odd! Someone here on Oregonwines had the same experience!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,522 ✭✭✭Dr. Loon


    Originally posted by ixoy
    How odd! Someone here on Oregonwines had the same experience!

    Just crazy isn't it? Poor people.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,817 ✭✭✭✭po0k


    Originally posted by Dr. Loon
    Much in the same way, that people who say different colour smarties taste different are deluding themselves. Except of course, the orange smarty. Which does indeed taste different.

    What the hell am I on about?!!
    Don't stop!

    I thought I was the only one....




    Also, you'll cork the wine if you screw into the cork too far.
    you just have to build the technique.


    I'm the guy who bought a proper metal lever cork-screw to go bushing with, while the rest of the plebs were all "cracking" * the cork in the bottle.


    * cracking is a term from my local area given to the act of pushing the cork into the bottle.
    May have originated from the occasional occurance of a frustrated wine drinker getting annoyed with the cork not going down easily, as happens when there's just that little bit too much wine int he bottle, and cracking the neck of the bottle against a stone/wall/head


    Blossom Hill rosé was nice


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,817 ✭✭✭✭po0k


    Originally posted by Beruthiel
    Darned if I know Dr. Loony - which you clearly are btw....

    there is a huge difference between the taste of screw topped wine (which I call antifreeze-Bart Simpson went to France episode :D) and corked bottles
    perhaps we need to have a boards.ie wine tasting evening....

    A Boards Wine & Cheese reception.

    with mustard


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 25,000 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    Count me in if this is organised, as long as we're not doing that whole spitting out the wine bit!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5 rousel


    Hi Folks! Seeing as everyone has so many tales to tell about wine, how's about putting that interest to use. I'm a student and for my thesis I am doing a study of the Irish wine consumer...if you are interested in taking part please click on the link that is attached to this message. I wish I could say that there's a bottle of wine for everyone in the audience, but there ain't. I only have one week to get it finished so I would appreciate if you could fill it out as soon as you can. It will take less than 5 minutes of your time and would help me alot...so go on, do your good deed for the day!

    please click on the link below

    http://student.dcu.ie/~rousel2/index.html

    thanks a million


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,303 ✭✭✭✭koneko


    Originally posted by Sleepy
    Count me in if this is organised, as long as we're not doing that whole spitting out the wine bit!

    I think they call events like that "Boards Beer" ;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 68,173 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    Originally posted by rousel
    Hi Folks! Seeing as everyone has so many tales to tell about wine, how's about putting that interest to use. I'm a student and for my thesis I am doing a study of the Irish wine consumer...if you are interested in taking part please click on the link that is attached to this message. I wish I could say that there's a bottle of wine for everyone in the audience, but there ain't. I only have one week to get it finished so I would appreciate if you could fill it out as soon as you can. It will take less than 5 minutes of your time and would help me alot...so go on, do your good deed for the day!

    please click on the link below

    http://student.dcu.ie/~rousel2/index.html

    thanks a million
    Blatantly started this thread to get us all to look.

    Kudos.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,315 ✭✭✭ballooba


    Originally posted by Gyck
    I use one of the screwpull openers. I've had it 6 years now, worth every penny (or cent).

    Nineteen-Ninety-Eight twas the year of the penny.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 21,377 ✭✭✭✭Stark


    The general pubic is under the assumption

    Uhhmmm...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 42,361 ✭✭✭✭Beruthiel


    Originally posted by SyxPak
    with mustard

    naturally....


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8 RCCOLA


    NOT A JOKE. USED A CORKSCREW, PULLED GENTLY UPWARD, NOT AN IDIOT. JUST SOMEONE THAT GOT HURT PRETTY BAD, ENDED UP IN MICRO SURGERY AND PHYSICAL THERAPY. DIDN'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN TO ANYBODY ELSE. GUESS GIVING A S--- ABOUT OTHERS MAKES YOU A FOOL. NOT SUPPOSED TO BUY A BOTTLE OF WINE AND END UP WITH A PERMANENT DISABILITY.

    BY THE WAY, EVEN THE WINE MAKERS KNOW THAT CORKS ONLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO TASTE IF THEY CAUSE IT TO BE TAINTED, OTHERWISE IT IS JUST THE PERCEPTION OF WINE SNOBS!

    THANKS FOR ALL THE CARING COMMENTS. IT WAS VERY NICE. ALL HEART.

    WE ARE NOT MESSAGE BOARD AUTHORITIES, IF WE KNEW A WAY TO POST THE PICS ON HERE, WE WOULD. IT WAS A VERY BAD INJURY AND HAS CAUSED HIM A LOT OF DIFFICULTY AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,560 ✭✭✭Woden


    it seems to have caused you type to completely in caps now also, i wonder if they can fix that?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    Perhaps investing in the type of cork extraction device as seen in the Tesco ad, which doesn't place any stress on the neck of the bottle, would be a wise investment. The traditional corkscrew which requires the operator to hold the bottle in one hand and extract the cork in the other places exterme stress on the neck of the bottle. Add a percentage of drunkenness and one can easily envisage lateral forces at work on the neck of the bottle, as well as those pulling the cork away from the bottle. It's a recipie for disaster if you ask me. If I were the judge I'd throw this case right out. The bottle was sturdy enough to withstand insertion of the cork, transporation from the factory to your hand, etc. A hard luck tale if ever I heard one. Buy a decent cork extraction device you cheap bastid and don't blame others for misfortunes which you yourself could have avoided. Harsh, yes, but realistic. What happened to you was unfortunate and you have all our sympathies but you could have prevented this.


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