We caught up with Steve to learn all things sparkling and sabrage. Sabrage is a fun and theatrical way of opening Champagne and Sparkling wine and derives from the times of Napoleon Bonaparte, where his cavalry would draw their swords and open bottles of Champagne given to them in victory when travelling through the region. You need only check out YouTube to see the many ‘failed’ attempts, something we don’t encourage. Not only do you waste a decent bottle of wine but it’s actually quite dangerous too. At Sidewood, we make our Isabella Rosé and Chloe Sparkling wines in the Methode Traditionelle process, akin to that of all French Champagne and age the wine on lees (the yeast inserted into the bottle to create secondary fermentation within the vessel) for 3-6 years. This is the best (albeit, most expensive) way to create sparkling wine and without question, creates greater levels of complexity on the palate. Bottles created in this traditional process are also best for being opened using a Champagne Sabre (sword) or any solid object suitable to the trained person in charge of the bottle. The science is pretty simple. There’s around six SPARKLING & SABRAGE atmospheres or 90 PSI of pressure in a bottle of Sparkling wine. That’s no quite the pressure of a truck tyre Steve Dundon but in laymen’s terms, it’s a stylish little pressure bomb, waiting to go off. In fact, there’s 5kgs of pressure for every 1 cm of glass in the bottle…… so if you strike the exact point of weakness under the neck of the bottle (a point called the annulus), the glass severs cleanly and the glass and cork come off perfectly. Hit it wrong and you’d better be wearing safety glasses or have good At Sidewood, we’re a creative bunch. We’re always look- health insurance. ing for interesting ways to not only share our wines and ciders with people but also how to open them. Leading up to our event sponsorship of the South Australian Jockey Club at Morphettville at the end Our National Sales’ Manager, Steve Dundon is bit of of 2017 we found an old steel horseshoe in the a Champagne and Sparkling wine guru, having spent stables of the Sidewood Oakbank property, upon which over a decade running Champagne and luxury goods over 70 horses are cared for. What we believe to be a company, Moet Hennessy in SA. An avid Champagne world first, we sabred a bottleof our Trophy winning lover, he has conducted ‘sabrage’ for a numer of eventsb Sidewood Isabella Rose 2013using a horse shoe. (the ceremonial opening of a Champagne/Sparkling wine using a sword) including events for Rolls Royce, What’s next? Please feel free to email us your Mercedes Benz, Southern Ocean Lodgeand Port suggestions at enquiries@sidewood.com.au. So far a Adelaide Football Club (fixing up President David Koch’s watch, an iron and a car number plate have been put failed first attempt at the technique). forward! 15