# Where to cut the capsule?



## sour_grapes (Oct 27, 2017)

On most wine bottles, there is a flat, raised area a few mm below the lip. I have always cut the capsule just _above_ the raised area, and below the lip. I have been doing that since my days as a waiter many years ago. Recently, I came across a description that said to cut the capsule foil _below_ the raised ridge.

Lately, I have also been just slicing a vertical cut through the entire capsule and pulling the whole capsule off. Something tells me that patrons at fine-dining establishments of my waiter youth would not have appreciated this, but I don't see any reason why not to do it this way.

Obviously, either way will get 'er done, but where do you cut the capsule, and/or which do you think is the right way. (Note: the answer to these questions may be different!)

The first pic is above the ridge, the second is below:


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## cmason1957 (Oct 27, 2017)

I always cut from the bottom to the top to remove the entire damn thing. It makes it easier to reuse the bottle later.


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## rustbucket (Oct 27, 2017)

I used to cut capsule just below the lip because that's what I saw the sommeliers do. After getting into wine making, I started cutting the neck capsules vertically in order to fully remove the them. It's easier to do it at that time when I already have the blade out of my wine de-corking handle rather than do a whole bunch of bottles at once when I busy preparing to bottle a batch of wine. The reason I changed my capsule removal practice is that I now keep the bottles for re-use whereas before I got into the hobby, I simple through them into the recycling bin.


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## stickman (Oct 27, 2017)

Yea, I just hold a knife at an angle and drag it up the neck of the bottle and remove the whole capsule. I'm definitely not a Sommelier. I can imagine back in the day when capsules were made of lead, you might cut below the raised area to prevent the wine from contacting the capsule.


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## pgentile (Oct 27, 2017)

Cut from bottom to top as well, but must admit, I have a few time just pulled the cork out right through the capsule.


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## Johnd (Oct 28, 2017)

Below the lip is where I most see the cut / removal in nice restaurants, but I don’t know which is considered proper. 

When I’m opening a wine, I remove the whole thing.


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## dralarms (Oct 28, 2017)

I just quit putting them on.


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## PandemoniumWines (Oct 28, 2017)

I just take the cork out directly through it


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## GreginND (Oct 30, 2017)

sour_grapes said:


> On most wine bottles, there is a flat, raised area a few mm below the lip. I have always cut the capsule just _above_ the raised area, and below the lip.



This is how I always do it.




sour_grapes said:


> Lately, I have also been just slicing a vertical cut through the entire capsule and pulling the whole capsule off. Something tells me that patrons at fine-dining establishments of my waiter youth would not have appreciated this, but I don't see any reason why not to do it this way.



I have done this on occasion. My good friend from the Alsace region in France thinks I am an uncouth boor for doing this.


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