How to Open A Champagne Bottle the French Way
Feeling festive? Well, that probably means you'll be enjoying a glass of champagne. Did you know there's a traditional French way to open a bottle of champagne?
Champagne bottles are made to be pretty indestructible as you might already know. This is because as champagne undergoes its second fermentation in the bottle (the part of the process that makes the bubbles), the pressure rises up to six atmospheres, or 60 pounds. Early on in the champagne industry Dom Pérignon experienced some disastrous results attempting to harness this pressure with frequently exploding bottles and cellar workers often wounded or even killed.
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Today, champagne bottles are only broken by severe mishandling and rough treatment or by the blade of a sword. Never heard of a bottle being opened or broken by a sword? Neither had I, until my recent research on champagne and famous champagne houses like Veuve Clicquot, and in particular the inspiring Madame Clicquot, who pioneered women in business and in particular in the wine industry.
In an era when women were excluded from the business world, she [Madame Clicquot] dared to assume the head of the company, a role she undertook with passion and determination. Madame Clicquot’s character might be summarized with two words: audacious and intelligent - Verve Clicquot
In the process of this research I learnt about the almost mythical practice of sabrage. "Sabrer le champagne" means to open the bottle with a sharp blow with a sword.
Sabrage, is the French practice of slicing off the neck of a bottle with the edge of a sabre sword, and it's still a method used throughout France and the UK. The contents of the bottle don't get contaminated with glass because the pressure of the champagne and CO2 expelled as the bottle neck flies off, ensures that all glass is blown away. Slicing the head off the bottle is possible by striking the bottle at its weakest point - this is below the annulus at the neck.
Champagne bottle has been opened by breaking/cutting the top off by sabre
Historic Origins of Sabrage
The history of sabrage seems to have two competing theories. One is that the tradition began in Napoleonic times with soldiers from the much feared Hussar regiment impressing their colleagues and suitors at parties by opening bottles by running the blade of their sabre upwards along the side of the bottle. The other is that the expression came from a Russian tradition in which the Tsar's officers opened champagne bottles with great gusto and pomp.
Either way, this eccentric practice even has its own association of robed brotherhood, called the Confrérie du Sabre d'Or, who host conventions and award evenings when members are recognised for their skills.
There are courses available for persons interested in learning this practice, sabres to purchase and books to read - who knew? I love learning about eccentric French practices and delving into historical traditions and I will probably never drink champagne again without thinking of this unique way of opening a bottle.
