I love to saber sparkling wines. That might be an understatement. I pretty much saber at any opportunity and I am sure there are several readers of this blog who would readily corroborate that assertion (you know who you are). Ever since I sabered my first bottle of bubbles, however, I have been loathe to perform the deed with an actual saber.

(If I had the means, I would check to when that monumental event occurred, but alas…)

No, since my first ever saber at the International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC) in 2010 sin a Champagne flute (no one ever forgets their first time), I have sabered with a vast array of implements: golf club, clothing iron, ladder (that one did not go well), iPhone (that one did).

A few years ago, however, the very kind folk at Duval-Leroy (a house in Champagne with a considerable reputation), sent me an actual saber. A real deal sword of sorts, including tassel and wooden stand (it was made in Italy, but, well, I digress).

And that saber is freakin’ bad to the effing bone. It would slice the head off of, well, just about any…

Wait. I retract that comment as I got a bit carried away.

Let’s just say…the saber…is…cool.

So I present to you today two videos, the first runs down (more or less) the proper way to saber a sparkling wine (in this case Domaine Bousquet Rosé from Argentina). The second is perhaps the best video I have produced (please don’t judge unless you love it, natch) in which sabering plays only a supporting role–instead the focus is on making a sparkling wine tower using a magnum of my favorite Prosecco, Nino Franco.

Enjoy.

Or not. It really is up to you.

Do you have a favorite between the two? Please, vote below…