Words + Pictures by Angela Cappetta .

What exactly is sabrage?

To saber a bottle, traditionally, one uses a saber or a fancy sword-like item – a kitchen knife works – and with the blade, hit the exact point on the bottle where the mouth and the side seam of the bottle meet. Since it is a weak point on the glass , all the pressure of the C02 in the bottle causes the glass to break and shoot the cork out.  When done properly, there is a clean break which leaves the contents uneffected.

Naturally, these two had traveled together on wine trips. Erica’s wine sales took her to Austria and it was with the winemakers there whom Erica calls call her Austrian family where William proposed.

The  Steininger family owns the vineyard whose wine Erica distributes. As family does, they taught the couple how to saber a champagne bottle.

When a couple is in the wine business, naturally, there will be special wine involved. Each table was named after a particular grape.  Furthermore, each table was served the wine that was its theme. The accent color, naturally, was purple, like a grape.

This wedding at Biddle Mansion in New York ended with a real live sabering.

William nailed it in the first shot. See photos below for evidence.

He held the bottle and struck it with a special saber bought especially for the wedding. William gallantly sabered it open for all to admire. Everyone gasped when it was sliced open. The pop was clear and clean. It rang throughout the room. It was the couple’s  beautiful crescendo.

Furthermore, the sabered bottle featured a rare, small run of champagne, whose bottle displays a hand-written “label” painted directly on the glass. Furthermore, the recipe for this champagne hasn’t changed in over 100 years.

Rare. And perfect.