How to sabre a bottle of sparkling wine

Sabering a bottle of bubbly is a simple way to add a bit of excitement to an evening or a supper among friends. And it’s actually a lot easier to do than you might think.

I’m delighted to share with you the method I learned last week in Claire’s company at Vignoble de l’Orpailleur. She also took advantage of the opportunity to explain the various stages of making their brut wine based on the champagne method. And I even had a crash course on sparkling wine and champagne.

How to sabre

First of all, for safety purposes, make sure you point your bottle away from any people or items of value. It’s easier to do the sabering outdoors. Next, remove the foil and wire cage that is holding the cork.

Now you need a sword! If you don’t have one, a simple chef’s knife will do the job.

Hold the bottle from the bottom at a 45-degree angle, find the seam that runs up the side of the bottle and make sure it is placed upward.

Place the sabre or flat knife on the bottle. The blunt part of the knife should be frontward. Don’t use the cutting side of the knife.

Run the back of your knife along the seam two or three times so that you increase the pressure toward the bottle’s neck. Then, with a firm, fluid motion, give a light tap against the rim of the bottle’s neck. The knife must stay flat against the bottle. You need to let the weight of the blade do the work for you.

I recommend you keep some wine glasses close by so you can pour the bubbly immediately after the sabering.

And now, all you have left to do is celebrate!

It should be noted that you can use this same sabering method for sparkling cider.

If you’d like to celebrate with bubbly produced in Québec, I invite you to check out this list of sparkling wines on the Wine Route website.

Cheers!