You never forget your first time, at least that it what “they” say. And who am I to disagree? I certainly remember my first. I was at a party, I had downed a few drinks, and I wandered out into the back yard. There, a group of people were all watching, some taking turns, but all focused on the singular act:

Sabering a bottle of sparkling wine.

What did you think I was referencing?

To add a little bit of drama to that event over a decade ago now, the implement used to saber the bottle? A champagne flute. Eventually, I weaseled my way to the front of the crowd and got to try my first-ever saber with said champagne flute. 

After a few hesitant passes, I got a bit of nerve and started hitting the neck of the bottle a bit harder. On the third or fourth swipe? Voila! Eureka! Shazam!

And I was hooked. 

Now? 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.

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…

Let’s just say…the saber…is…cool.

Since my first ever saber at that International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC) in 2010 , I have sabered with a vast array of implements: golf club, clothing iron, ladder (that one did not go well), iPhone (that one did).

But that first time….

While there is no video of the actual first time (I mean, one needs a bit of privacy for the first time), I did have the wherewithal to video the first time I tried to saber at my own home, immediately upon returning home from the IPNC.

When I pulled up the video to publish it again here, I was shocked to see the video has been seen nearly 100,000 times on YouTube.

I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing….