Champagne: love it as much as I love wine. Pink or white, I am a fan of both as long as it’s chilled and bubbly! It is the quintessential definition of celebration. Over the next few weeks, there are numerous reasons for my family to be popping the corks on bottles as we toast numerous transitions in our family’s lives. I say “popping” the corks but if we were really adventurous, we might try making a bigger, far more romantic splash at our next party!
Sabrage or the Sabering of Champagne is a method of opening a champagne bottle by cutting the top off, cork and all with a saber. The legend of sabrage has its beginnings with Napoleon’s army returning home after a victory, being cheered on by the local townspeople who offered the soldiers bottles of champagne in celebration. While they were astride their horses, with no means of uncorking the bottle properly, they merely pulled out their swords and lopped off the top at the lip of the cork with an upward blow to the bottle. Let the party begin!!
A second legend has Mme Clicquot(the widow Cliquot), a woman who years before it was fashionable for females to be successful in a male world, did just that by taking over her late husband’s affairs ranging from banking and wool trading. She devoted all her efforts to their champagne business, making Veuve Clicquot, then and now, one of the premier champagnes in the world. Her gift to the art of sabering was again offering Napoleon’s soldiers champagne in return for safe keeping of her property (I think that’s what’s called a bribe). Offering soldiers on horses bottles of the bubbly and glasses to drink it from, they tossed the glasses to the ground and drew their swords once again while drinking right from the bottle. Ooh la la!!
For those of you non-romantics (boo), there is a scientific explanation to this trick. I don’t profess to understand it, but apparently, done properly, if one hits the bottle right under the lip of the cork at the bottle’s weakest point, on a well-chilled bottle, the cork and glass fly away, spilling little and leaving a rather smooth break. The pressure from inside the bottle ensures that no glass enters and all that yumminess is safe to drink.
A friend of mine, Olivier, who is a sommelier in Paris has put together a series of videos about wine, food pairings and champagne that I will send you to. This particular video is about….sabering. We find him at the foot of the Eiffel Tower demonstrating what I think is a most romantic way to open a bottle of champagne. You really have to watch closely and check out the knife that he uses…..he obviously has done this before. Happy Sabrage!
Additional information: Champagne Sabering, WineRendevous, O-Chateau
Photo credit: flickr: willi_hybrid, *Garron Nicholls*, wikipedia
译文:
香槟刀：家庭使用要三思 [巴黎旅行者]
香槟：一如对葡萄酒的热爱，冰凉的泛着泡沫的香槟，无论是粉色还是白色都令我怦然心动。它最完美的诠释了庆祝的意味。接下来的几周内，面对家中的诸多变迁，我们有足够的理由砰的打开瓶塞。我是说“砰”的一声打开。可是如果够胆量，下一个派对，我们会尝试一种更为大胆更为浪漫的开瓶方式。
香槟刀或者说切香槟是指用刀将瓶口连同软塞一刀切掉的开瓶方式。关于香槟刀的传说可以追溯到拿破仑时期。一次，拿破仑的军队打了胜仗，当地的市民手捧香槟庆祝士兵们的凯旋归来。可是骑在马上的士兵不能用正常的方式拔出瓶塞，只有拔出军刀，将瓶口连同木塞一刀切下，香槟喷涌而出，庆典正式开始！！
另一个传说是说祈历高夫人（祈历高的遗孀）一位很久以前在男人的世界中获得成功的传奇女性。她在接管了最后一任丈夫从银行业到羊毛贸易的一系列事务之后，将全部精力都投入到香槟的生意中。这使得凯歌香槟直到今天，任以世界最好的香槟之一著称于世。她沿袭了拿破仑的士兵们开启香槟的传统，而这一技艺也使得她稳稳地掌握住了自己的财富（我就的这称得上贿赂）。为骑兵奉上一杯冒着泡沫的香槟酒，他们会将杯子扔到地上，再次挥舞刀剑，直接对着瓶嘴畅饮。哦啦啦！！
这样说也许不太浪漫（嘁），但这一技艺确实有科学依据。虽然我不能说在理论上理解这一技法，但毫无疑问能够正确的运用它。一瓶彻底冰镇过的香槟，只要找到瓶子最脆弱的地方，沿软塞底端一刀切下，软木塞和玻璃会连同一点点液体飞射而出，留下一个相当光滑的切口。而瓶内的压力会保证碎玻璃不至于掉入瓶内，整瓶美味的香槟都能够安全的饮用。
我的朋友奥利弗是一位巴黎的斟酒服务员。他曾制作了一系列有关葡萄酒，食品搭配以及香槟的视频。下面我会上传一段。这段特别的视频是关于...香槟刀的。我们会看见他在埃菲尔铁塔下展示这种我认为最为罗曼蒂克的开启香槟的方式。仔细看，尤其要注意他是一的刀子...很显然，他曾这样开过香槟。令人愉快的香槟刀！
附加信息：香槟刀，葡萄酒俱乐部，法国城堡
图片：图片共享网站：willi hybrid,*Garron Nicholls*,wikipedia
