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    Party Trick: Sabering Champagne with Mumm Cellarmaster Didier Mariotti

    By | Shine Food – Fri, Mar 14, 2008 5:53 PM EDT

    Last week in honor of Champagne Mumm's release of a new special bottling, Cuvée, R. Lalou 1998, a few Mumm execs came to town to host a dinner at the Bel Air Hotel. Cuvée Lalou is one fantastic bottle of bubbles, and the meal, by chef Douglas Dodd, was delicious to boot.

    But the best part came after dessert when I learned how to saber a bottle of Champagne. For those unfamiliar with the spectacle, sabering involves opening bubbly by whacking off the neck of the bottle with a sword, or saber. I'd seen it done a few times, but never seemed to have a sword handy with which to practice.

    Turns out there is a secret to it. But guess what? You don't need a saber or even a chef's knife. A table knife works fine, as Mumm cellarmaster Didier Mariotti showed us. It's all about making sure the bottle is good and cold, loosening the wire cage, tilting the bottle at a 45 degree angle (everybody stand clear), rubbing the bottle seam with your chosen implement, and finally knocking the lip with a quick, firm rap. Kaboom! Off flies the bottle top, and cleanly, too. I'm not saying try this at home. But as cool party tricks go, a French guy in a nicely cut suit lopping the top off a Champagne bottle is definitely up there.

    Amy Albert, senior associate editor


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