When opening a bottle with a waiter's corkscrew, which action should you avoid?

• A. Remove the cork slowly
• B. Break through the cork
• C. Use a foil cutter
• D. Tilt the bottle slightly

Answer: (B)

When opening with a waiter's corkscrew, avoid breaking through the cork. Forcing the worm through the cork can crumble cork pieces into the wine or push fragments into the neck, making the wine look and taste gritty and potentially contaminating it. The corkscrew is designed for a controlled, gradual extraction: center and remove the foil, twist the worm into the cork firmly but not too deep, then use the lever to ease the cork out slowly while keeping the bottle steady. Removing the cork slowly, using the foil cutter, and tilting the bottle slightly are all helpful techniques that help maintain control and clean extraction.