By Steve Hicks

Steve Hicks uses a woodworking hatchet as a saber to open a bottle of champagne.

I recently attended a wine collector’s dinner at Moose’s in San Francisco. The occasion was the introduction of rare, single vineyard champagne produced by Perrier-Jouet. Our treat was a 1999 Fleur de Champagne, Blanc de Blancs. Brut, the most common champagne or sparkling wine, is approximately 60 percent pinot noir and 40 percent Chardonnay. A blanc de blancs is 100 percent chardonnay. It is the lightest of all the wines and takes the longest to mature.

Perrier-Jouet and G.H. Mumm are both owned by Allied Domecq. Jean-Marie Barillere, the CEO of both companies, was here to make the presentation of this wine that will be released for the holiday season. Only 4,000 cases were made for the entire world. The scarcity is increased if you factor in not every year produces a vintage (only the best years are declared vintage years in champagne) and this bottling may have to last several.

This great bottle of champagne is beautifully packaged in Perrier-Jouet’s classic belle epoque style. Belle epoque (The Pretty Era) was a period in France that spanned the end of the French-German War in 1871 to the beginning of World War I.

It was famous for its frivolity and creativity. Art nouveau was born in this period, and the PJ fleur bottle of enameled anemones was created by Galle in 1904.

It languished in the winery for 60 years until it reappeared in a marketing campaign in1964 on a green bottle that is still in use. The ‘99 bottle is a fleur bottle but with clear glass, and it is stunning.

The pre-tasting was highlighted by Barillere opening this $220 bottle with a saber. I knew port was sometimes opened in this manner but I had never heard of it with a bottle with 100 pounds of pressure.

He iced the neck, took off the foil, wire and pointed it away from the guests and anything breakable.

He whacked the ring around the neck with his saber, and voila! The glass top and cork came off in one piece. There was no foam and everyone was still alive.

The question on our endangered lips was, how do we know there is no broken glass in the bottle?

He replied, “It would have foamed if glass particles were there.” It was a leap of faith, but I wanted to taste it. It was wonderful but years away from being at its finest.

I went home saying I can do that. This weekend we entertained, and I gave it a shot. I know one person who collects sabers. I knew the answer: “You are going to do what with my sword?” I opted for an old barrel tool, a woodworking hatchet.

I read about some guy that calls himself a “Master Saberer” and prefers French glass to American glass. I guess it breaks better. I practiced on an empty French bottle and the top came right off.

No cork and no pressure, but it seemed easy. No way I was going to do this on an expensive bottle. I chose a Nicole Miller Korbel bottle that was kind of French.

We went outside, I held my breath, hit it and half the neck disappeared along with half the contents.

I went to my backup bottle, a 1985 Mumm Cordon Rose that I thought was over the hill. No more hatchets, I used a 15-inch butcher knife. I was not allowed to use the sharp edge, “not with my good knife,” I was told.

I closed my eyes, held my breath and hit it with the blunt side. Much to my total amazement, it worked. Clean cut, no foam and the rose was perfect.

Now I want to know how many bottles I have to do to become a “Master Saberer.”

- Hicks is a wine consultant who lives in LosAltos Hills.