What Is Champagne Sabrage?

I always considered the Champagne bottle the Swiss Army Knife of wine bottles. There are no tools needed to open it. No wine key. No corkscrew of any kind. No need to open with a shoe (yeah, that’s out there). Just take off the foil, which usually has a small tab for starting, twist the muselet 6 times, and slowly twist out the cork. So what’s the deal with all these Instagrammers sabering Champagne with everything from swords to the heel of a dress shoe?

“Champagne! In victory one deserves it. In defeat one needs it.” - Napoleon

I’m sure you have seen it. Someone is pointing the bottle of Champagne away from themselves, always a good practice, and they will run something along the bottle to hit the lip just under the cork. This breaks the bottle and shoots the cork out. Many of the videos you will see the person attempt this around 5 times before it works.

Sabrage comes from Napoleon. His soldiers would open Champagne in aristocratic domains when moving through Europe. The sabre was the weapon of choice for his soldiers, so they used it in celebration. The Napoleonic Code has lasting effect, even today, on French wine. So maybe this is a good way to open Champagne. Right?

I think it’s the equivalent of doing a windmill dunk on a breakaway when a simple two handed stuff would suffice. Too much opportunity for error. We have all seen celebrations where people shake and pop sparkling and then dump it all over each other. That’s fine. When you win the World Series you get a pass. But when you scroll Instagram there are tons of people doing sabrage on expensive vintage Champagne. On a lot of those videos you see the cork fly, followed by half a glass of vintage juice. Yeah, no thanks.

Champagne bottles hold a lot of pressure. Something similar to what a car tire holds. If you lose the cork during a sommelier exam, you automatically fail. Why? Because that cork becomes a projectile that can do major damage. Add some sharp glass flying around and you have yourself a real party.

Thankfully, I think sabrage is mostly a “look at me” Instagram novelty nowadays. I think it exists in other places, but it isn’t widespread. There is no need to risk injury or lost wine to open a bottle. 

Get the foil off. Twist the cage. Always keep your thumb over the cork. Grasp the bottom of the bottle and slowly twist the cork out. You will feel the cork start to come out. Be gentle. No need to hear a pop or let the cork fly. Let the Champagne do the talking.