Sabrage - an overview

Champagne sabering, or as the French like to call it, sabrage, is one of those wonderfully theatrical procedures we just love. Some of our wine tasting challenges in 2009 have included sabrage. It is such an arcane activity we felt it warranted an article!

For those of you who haven't seen it, sabrage is simply the art of taking the top off a Champagne bottle with a Champagne sword. Although the process is centuries old, the sabre or sword these days is about the size of a machete and is blunt edged.

Champagne sabering serves no useful purpose whatsoever, and is, in essence, just a bit of showmanship. One or two of the drier wine writers pooh-pooh this activity, citing it as unnecessary and overly showy. We couldn't disagree more - wine, and particular Champagne, is all about celebration and enjoyment - you'd have to be pretty world weary not to marvel at the spectacle.

The origins are disputed, but most concur that sabering began with the cavalrymen of Napoleon's army (the Hussars), whose weapon of choice was the sabre. Post battle overseas, the Hussars would return to the cities and towns of France where grateful citizens would proffer bottles of Champagne. Being rough and ready types, the Hussars would unsheath their sabres, lop the tops of the Champagne bottles, and drink straight from the bottle. Health and safety of course wasn't big in the 18th and 19th century.

These days people are a bit more free and easy. I've seen (and heard) of sabrage being accomplished with samurai swords, skis, and in one case (I kid you not) a pen. Not only can you train in the art of sabrage, competitions are dedicated to it and many interesting videos abound on youtube (check them out).

There are inevitable mishaps as a sabreur, one of the best known being "ring bounce". This happens when the sabrage action is not completed properly and glass is chipped off the annulus (glass ring) at the top of the bottle underneath the cork. Ring bounce has happened to us more than once. Unless they are seriously mishandled, Champagne bottles almost never explode under this process, due to the wine's sturdy glass (necessary to contain the six atmospheres of pressure within the bottle).

A final word of advice - there are those who feel sabrage is only dangerous if you are in the firing line. Whether you believe this or not, we'd recommend you don't try this at home...
Pip Martin manages and produces International, UK-wide and corporate wine tasting games and other specialist events for the corporate events industry.