The Art Of Sabering Wine

A drive up the Willamette Valley has a number of benefits: great scenery, wine and people. Stoller Family Vineyard is one of the better destinations for good wine and curated nibbles. One of the more exciting aspects of the winery is the dynamic female winemaker Kate Payne Brown.

Above and beyond the art of winemaking she also picked up a great, and impressive skill, along the way: sabering a bottle of wine. It is a festive party trick and easier than it looks at first glance: I have managed to do it once or twice myself.

So, I sat down with her to speak about how she learned this great skill. All answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Liza B. Zimmerman (L.B.Z.): When did you learn to saber wine?

Kate Payne Brown (K.P.B.): My dear friend Cheryl Wakerhauser, owner of Pix Patisserie, which has the best Champagne list in Portland, taught me how to saber about 16 years ago.

L.B.Z.: Is it difficult?

K.P.B.: There is definitely some skill to it, but it is easier once you understand why a sparkling bottle can be sabered. As with most skills, you become more confident with practice.

L.B.Z.: What are the tricks to do it?

K.P.B. Sparkling glass bottles are made with a mold. When the two sides are put together for the finished bottle, you will notice a seam where the molten sides were attached. The lip of the bottle is added thereafter. So, the weakest part of the glass is where the lip of the bottle meets one of the seams. When you saber, the trick is to follow the seam with a saber, or the back of a heavy knife, or really any object that has a blunt side and can handle the impact. I have seen people use things like a colander, a hatchet, and most famously, the base of a wine glass.

I should also stress that the wine should be very cold during saberage. The carbonation is more soluble when cold, so the bottle gushes less, and you have more wine to drink and share.

L.B.Z.: Is it something you do often at the winery or more frequently at parties?

K.P.B.: I find sabering very fun, and I love helping people learn how to do it as the process is memorable, so yes, I saber pretty often. Our team at Stoller Family Estate always sabers at the beginning of harvest, at the end of harvest, and sometimes just because the mood strikes. Saberage is always done in a celebratory manner.

L.B.Z.: Why do you always share what you saber?

K.P.B.: Saberage is meant for celebration, so whether it’s a milestone or special occasion or perhaps just that it was a good start to the week, you should always share your successes.

L.B.Z.: Can you explain why glass doesn’t get in the bottle?

K.P.B.: There is between four to six atmospheres of pressure in a traditionally made sparkling wine. This pressure pushes any potential glass away from the bottle and the wine.

L.B.Z.: Have you ever broken a bottle by mistake?

K.P.B.: Yes, some glass has aberrations, so there is always a possibility of broken glass. One should always be careful when sabering wine.

L.B.Z.: Are larger bottles harder to open?

K.P.B.: No, I haven’t found that larger bottles are more difficult to saber. The most challenging part of sabering a larger format is holding it.

L.B.Z.: How many people are “certified” (if there is such a thing?) to saber around the world?

K.P.B.: I don’t think there is a certification. I have met people from all walks of life that have experienced saberage at one point or another.

Is it an easier way to open a bottle of wine? I am unsure if it is easier, but it is definitely more fun than the traditional way.

L.B.Z.: What is the best reaction you have gotten from someone when you sabering open a bottle?

K.P.B.: I think there is always a similar reaction: excitement, disbelief and elation.

—