Magnificent Century Chill

Better sabering for champagne You’ve bought a bottle of champagne

for this evening and are wondering how to open it while making a good impression

It’s time to get hands-on! Because sabering a bottle of champagne is an art in itself!

If you want to impress your friends, sabering your bottle of champagne will always make a statement.

Although technically sound, this gesture is simpler than it seems, as long as you know how.

And that’s great, Les Grappes gives you tips and tricks for sabering your bottle correctly!

How to do it right? We’ll explain everything

*Discover our selection of champagnes from local winegrowers Sabering or Sabling Champagne

*Don’t confuse these two expressions

The expression « sabler le champagne » means tasting champagne at an event.

Why and how to saber champagne

The origin of this expression comes from the time when champagne bottles were placed in wet sand to keep them chilled.

What does sabering champagne mean?

« Sabering champagne » means opening the bottle with a sharp blow using a saber.

This expression comes from a Russian tradition where the Tsar’s officers opened champagne bottles with great pomp and circumstance. If you want to try sabering a bottle of champagne, make sure the champagne is very cold. Next, look for the seam on the neck of the bottle (the joint between the two parts). Using a « lighter » saber or the blade of a knife, give a sharp, sure, and quick blow along the rim, following the seam. It is also possible to saber champagne with a spoon or the base of a flute. But we wish you good luck with this because it requires a lot more practice…

How to saber champagne? The art of sabering a bottle of champagne amazes many. Here are some rules to follow to ensure your skill is perfect. To begin, avoid shaking the bottle before opening. Proper Pressure If you want to saber a bottle, choose a champagne. Our Champagne winemakers create the best bottles.

A good bottle, especially one that’s sabered, can be prepared to receive a lot of applause. Made using the traditional method, the pressure of champagne will be around 4 to 6 bar, more than for a bottle of other sparkling wines, such as a sparkling wine or a Prosecco.

Proper Temperature Before sabering, make sure your bottle of champagne is as cold as possible. This makes it more enjoyable to drink and will also facilitate the process by making the glass more fragile. The most important thing is to keep your bottle of champagne chilled until the last moment, so that the process will be admired. Don’t hold it in your hands for too long; you’ll present your bottle to your guests once it’s been sabered! *

Use the Right Technique For this operation to go perfectly, you must hold your bottle firmly, with your left hand if you’re right-handed and with your right hand if you’re left-handed.

Then tilt it about 45° and position the seam of the bottle facing you. *

This long line running through your bottle is a bit like its Achilles’ heel.

It’s the most fragile point, the place where you’ll need to saber hard and fast. Before that, don’t forget to remove the wire cage from your bottle so that you have direct access to the neck. It’s this impact against the neck that will allow the cork to pop. When you’ve mastered the technique, it seems almost simple!

Sabering Safely Even though this gesture is marvelous, it can also be dangerous.

Good to know: Be careful, an uncontrolled champagne cork can reach speeds of nearly 50 km/h! *

It’s therefore important to take precautions.

First of all, make sure no one is facing you when you saber your bottle of champagne, as that’s the direction the cork will fly. We’re never safe from a champagne bottle exploding, so keep it as far away from your face as possible. What should you use to saber champagne?

Even though soldiers originally used their sabers, it’s not always easy to have one handy.

No matter! It can be easily replaced. Use your kitchen knife blades, teaspoons, or flutes as substitute sabers. And yes! Even your champagne glass can be used for sabering! Sabering a Bottle of Champagne Easily For your gesture to be successful and acclaimed by all, you must:

Chill your bottle Tilt your bottle 45° Slide the cap along the seam of the bottle with a quick, strong motion Once your bottle is sabered, know that you’ve done the hardest part. All that’s left is to enjoy it!