383758 Thu Mar 22 06:01:10 -0700 2007 5 34 Wine 0 2410112 I was opening a bottle of Chardonnay yesterday, the cork broke and when I went to do my retrival of the remaining piece.... I heard a loud POP and the thing got sucked in! I have never seen this happen, does anyone know why? Does the fact that a vacuum was formed in the bottle mean that the wine was bad? Thu Mar 22 06:01:10 -0700 2007 25364 momof3 1 2410173 My guess: If the wine had been stored for a while in a warm location and then chilled shortly before opening, a vacuum would have been created. Since corks are not completely airtight, nature would eventually eliminate the abhorrent vaccum, but it would take a while. Thu Mar 22 06:29:31 -0700 2007 2410112 10520 carswell 1 2410190 I've had that happen before and there was nothing wrong with the wine.. Have no clue why it happened, tho. Thu Mar 22 06:37:35 -0700 2007 2410112 52499 ChefJune 1 2410347 Carswell's explanation is the most likely one. Thu Mar 22 07:28:30 -0700 2007 2410112 28122 zin1953 2 2411063 Also, as you partially extracted the cork, a bit more of a vacuum was formed, so the piece of cork was sucked into the bottle. There are also "cork retrievers," that are long, thin tines (usually 3) with a little bend on the end. The tines are inserted into the bottle neck and you open them up a bit. With a little juggling, you can grasp the cork between them and pull it back through the neck. These gadgets are not expensive, are found in most good wine shops, and, with a bit of practice, can do a wonderful job of retrieving a cork, that finds its way to the inside of the bottle. Or, you can just pour around the cork, but it will invariably float up the neck and block the flow - over, and over, and over. Hunt Thu Mar 22 10:39:13 -0700 2007 2410347 11329 Bill Hunt 1 2411747 Modern corking machines are designed to create a seal in which the pressure on the inside of the cork is less than or equal to that on the outside (in other words, a vacuum), which ensures that under reasonable temperatures, the cork stays put until you pull it out. Thu Mar 22 13:17:59 -0700 2007 2410112 13690 Sam B