Fun gadgets to open and enhance your bottle of wine.

A bottle of wine is a staple in many homes. It pairs well with good food, a good movie or good company.

Enjoying wine and shopping for it can be two very different things, though. Some people know the varieties they like, while others choose based on how eye-catching the label is — and whether the price fits their budget.

If you’re in the latter group and curious about what to expect when you open the bottle, skip the wine-aisle web search and consider using a wine app to learn more about what’s inside. Some of these apps can scan the label and give you details about the wine, including which foods it pairs well with, its flavor profile and reviews from others who’ve tried it. Many apps will also keep track of the bottles you scan, making it easier to remember what you bought — and whether you liked it.

Buying a bottle is just the first step in enjoying the wine within.

Watch this video for two gadgets that will make opening and pouring wine as easy as pressing a button.

How to open a bottle of wine

While many wine bottles now have twist-top openers, there are still plenty of bottles with corks on store shelves.

To open a bottle of wine with a cork, start by removing the foil seal from the neck of the bottle. There are several ways to do this: use a foil cutter, a knife, or twist it off by hand. If you’re using a knife, place the blade under the lip of the bottle and twist the bottle itself.

Next comes removing the cork — and this step varies depending on the type of corkscrew you have.

  • If you’re using a wing corkscrew: Push the sharp tip into the top of the cork, hold the bottle firmly and twist the corkscrew into the cork until the wings rise all the way up. Push down on the wings and gently pull while rocking it until the cork comes out.
  • If you’re using a wine key: Firmly grip the bottle and screw in the worm of the corkscrew, stopping just before the end goes through the cork. Tilt the wine key and position the opener so the first notch rests on the lip of the bottle. Pull the cork about halfway up. Reposition the opener to the second notch and pull again. Gently rock and twist to fully remove the cork.
  • If you have a rechargeable electric wine bottle opener, Place it around the opening of the bottle. Hold the bottle and press the down button. Once it stops or you notice a change in sound, the cork is out and you can remove the opener. However, this method may vary depending on the specific model you have. Some electric openers also come with a stopper that can be vacuum-sealed to keep leftover wine fresh for later.

How to pour wine

There’s an art to pouring a glass of wine. What you pour at home might be a little more heavy-handed than what you’d get from a sommelier or winemaker. Believe it or not, how much you pour can affect the wine’s flavors and aromas, according to wine glass company Riedel.

Red wine should be poured until the glass is about one-third full. Fuller-bodied reds should be poured slightly less, while lighter-bodied wines can benefit from a little more.

A pour of white wine should fill the glass halfway. Filling more of the glass helps keep the chilled wine cooler as you enjoy it. Lighter white wines can be poured a bit more, while fuller-bodied whites might benefit from a little less.

Sparkling wines should fill the glass between halfway and two-thirds full.

There are also gadgets that will do the pouring for you. Several models are available — simply set the amount you want the electric wine dispenser to pour, and let it do the work. Many models also aerate as they pour.

This makes it easy to divide the bottle among guests and allows anyone of legal drinking age to pour a glass without needing to lift it.

Shop top-rated related products:

  • At-home lattes: Zulay Kitchen Powerful Milk Frother Wand With Batteries
  • Hands-free gadget: Kitchen Mama Auto Electric Can Opener
  • Top-rated accessory: TrendPlain Olive Oil Dispenser Bottle
  • Best-selling veggie chopper: Mueller Pro-Series 10-in-1, 8-Blade Vegetable Chopper
  • Customer-favorite cooking hack: Clip-On Pasta Strainer Silicone for All Pots and Pans
  • User-friendly tool: Otstar Jar Opener Bottle Opener
  • Meal prep must-have: JAYVAR Onion Holder for Slicing
  • Never waste a drop: OTOTO Splatypus Jar Spatula for Scooping and Scraping

How to remove wine stains

Red wine is a foe to fabrics, but acting fast can help keep it from leaving a mark.

Watch this video to see how to remove wine stains.

Rinse the stain with cold water, then spray it with a mixture of equal parts dish soap, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Rub the solution into the stain with your finger — it should disappear almost instantly. Repeat as needed, and give it a final rinse with cold water before putting it in the washing machine.

If the red wine ends up on the carpet or a rug, reach for the salt after you blot out the liquid. Cover the spot with any type of salt and let it sit for several hours – the longer the better. Once the salt has dried, vacuum it up and repeat the processes if needed.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Red or white? Simple tips to help you buy and pour a glass of wine: Video

Reporting by Cody Godwin, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect