Prosecco and Sabers – Who’s your Daddy!?!

A one-line headline on the newswires caught my attention:

“Winemaker Gianluca Bisol, the group will gather in the northern town of Treviso at the weekend to display their skill at opening champagne bottles by slicing off the top with a saber.”

The Bisol family makes a few really good Prosecco wines. Many know that the method of making many Prosecco wines is the Charmat not the Champagne method. It seemed reasonable to think that anything having to do with Bubbly would interest Gianluca Bisol. He is involved in most of the wine and educational associations in Veneto.

Opening a bottle of Champagne or Prosecco with a saber seemed a bit sensationalist. I assumed that they were talking about some new bottle opener called the saber. I was amazed to find that it is exactly what it says it is, open a bottle of Champagne with a sword. There is a worldwide association of Saber Rattlers. The association counts 30,000 members in 12 countries. The newest chapter of the group is opening in Treviso.

The practice goes back to the times of Napoleon. Several writers have documented both the method and the story. After reading their accounts, my cynical mind went to work. Bisol has a vested interest in developing this fashion. Urban Daddy writes:

“Of course, the only thing that looks worse than struggling with a champagne cork is struggling with a saber and a champagne cork, so in a word: practice.”

How many bottles will we break in the interest of practice? Once I learn how to do it perfectly, Prosecco would be a requirement at any dinner with friends.

Enough of my malicious considerations. This would be an impressive display if your friends don’t call 911 when they see you walk in with a sword. As you are swiping away at the neck of an innocent bottle of Prosecco you can grunt, “Who’s your Daddy!?!”

Tags: Prosecco Sparkling Wine Italian Wine Veneto Sommelier Champagne Travel Italy