Hey Steemit friends!
Since we are heading to Christmas, let me give you a crash course on popping those bubbly bottles open.

One day you will be at a party and you will have to pop open a champagne bottle. The more memorable the opening is, the better for you. The trick is to do it so flawlessly. Obviously, we know people who have the skill and they just pop the cork open and then we know those who can't just get it right. I was the later. I would never volunteer to pop open a champagne bottle. Never!

Who wan't to have that anticlimactic moment when half the bottle hits the floor and you have to face the laughing and disappointed people who witnessed the horror?

Please do not do this at home!

Do not open the bottle indoors because you will make such a huge mess. We cannot predict how this process will be for you. You want to have the liberty to spill some wine if you want.

Fun Facts before we begin

• Sabrage is the act of opening a bottle with a sword.
• Champagne has to come from France. If it is not from France, you can call it sparkling wine, bubbly or MCC Method Cap Clasique ( From South Africa).
• Corks flight speed is 25 metres per hour.
• There is a champagne bottle that costs $ 2.07 million dollars.
• In a champagne bottle, the pressure is approximately 90 pounds per square inch.
• A champagne cork once flew for 54 metres.
• Try dropping a raisin in champagne and watch it go up and down. This is an impressive party trick.

Sabering

Sabering looks like a thing reserved for sommeliers but it is not. You just need to know the technique that they use. You also do not have to be very strong. If Jean with her small frame could do it, then you can. Another thing is that the blade doe not matter. The technique is what matters.

The steps

1. Chill the bottle. Don't do this with a warm bottle.
2. Go outside. Make sure no one is standing in the direction of the flying cork but behind you.
3. From the bottle, remove the wire and foil.
4. This is the most important step. Look at the seam of the bottle. You will see the line where the bottle was joined and it leads up to the lip. Look at where the seam joins the lip. That is your point of weakness.
5. Grip the base of your bottle with your less dominant hand.
6. Hold the bottle away from you at a 30 degree angle. You can estimate this.
7. Put the blade on the seam and simply move it along the seam gently. This will trace your path to the top of the bottle. Do not aim for the cork.
8. Do not be afraid. Glass is brittle so hitting the right spot will yield results.
9. Do it. You do not need a lot of force. When you do it correctly the cork will fly away and the wine will bubble off.
   

Note

Because of the pressure, do not be afraid about glass shards coming back in the bottle. That wine is very safe to drink.

It actually feels so great to drink that wine. I did this at Boschendal and that is one of my 2017 highlights.

Cheers to a wonderful & wineful 2018.
Sip responsibly

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All photos by me: Taken with Canon Rebel t5i & Canon G7x