Zork cork won't come off prosecco bottle

[Abendintheriver]

I've got a bottle of prosecco in the fridge from Aldi. I've had a shitty week and was looking forward to opening it last night but it's got a zork cork and the stupid thing won't come off.

I've followed the instructions but it'll twist but not come off. I thought I'd just take it back and exchange it today but our local Aldi is being refurbed and I really can't be arsed to drive to the next one.

Anyone ever had this, any bright ideas how I can get the stupid thing open?! I really want my prosecco 😭 I've attached a photo for reference, I'm fully prepared to accept this may be down to user error but I just want it open!

Can you run a sharp knife around it ? Sorry, not seen one of those tops before.

I've tried a sharp knife but nothing doing. It's a stupid cork, designed I think to keep it from going flat once opened, which is not going to happen in this house anyway.

Pliers? This is an emergency, this is!

Silly question but are you pulling up on the cork as you're twisting it?

Ive tried both twist and pull and just twist. Off to dig the pliers out now!

Drill through it?? Desperate measures and all that!

Do you need to push down and twist (like a child proof cap! )

Actually, I have just zoomed in. Do you need to break that bit which has gaps in? So do you need to hold the bottom section and twist the top?

I think you need to grasp it firmly and sort of lever it back and forth as you twist....I googled Zork Corks and there's a fb video from Vicarage Lane Wines showing someone doing this.

Zorkcork is the NEW thing I learned today!

I hate zorks with a passion and feel your pain. In theory you should wrap your hand around the Zork once you've removed all the peel off strip. Grab firmly and pull/wiggle upwards. I don't have a brilliant grip so really struggle.

I've just watched the YouTube video and am mildly disappointed not to have a bottle with one on to try and open.

It might help to put an elastic band around it to improve your grip?

Don't you have to push down the middle bit while pulling the black bit up?

I had this exact problem! I think a bit of air had got in to the Cork mechanism and it meant the air lock was in full force and wouldn't then open. I was on YouTube thinking I'd just not got it right.
Brute force and a knife got it open in the end. Also from Aldi!

Put a pair of marigolds on and twist. Always works for me :-)

How long has this been a thing?

All this talk of pliers and knives sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

I'm quite happy with a normal cork and drinking the whole bottle in the same evening risking it going a bit flat.

I had a bottle of Prosecco open all by itself in the cupboard last week! Cork popped and it went everywhere!

Well no luck with pliers, have attempted to prize off with a knife but still no success. I have taken heart that freezedriedromance had the same issue and got it open though so Im not giving up.

have you removed the bottom part of the cork first? I can’t tell from your photo. iirc, you remove the bottom bit and then pull the top off.

@StopRightThereDavidCopperfield

have you removed the bottom part of the cork first? I can’t tell from your photo. iirc, you remove the bottom bit and then pull the top off.

This!

Took me ages to work it out.

A nutcracker does the job with a regular champagne cork (tip from friend who lives in Prosecco land), but i’ve never seen one of those and I drink a lot of Prosecco. What fresh hell is this?

Yep, removed the bottom part. Gonna go have another go with brute force and a blunt knife. Don't think my force is brute enough!

I'm in! Thanks everyone but particularly mumbum2011 as the marigolds and a lot of wiggling seemed to do the trick. Sunday night is saved :)

hurrah! Cheers to you @Abendintheriver

Phew! Thank goodness for that!