By Fergal Gleeson

Put your Sabrage skills to the test as you try to be the fastest to slice open sparkling wine bottles with Howard Park Jete.

Sabrage is the art of opening a sparkling wine bottle with a blade.

Legend has it that it was first performed by Napoleon’s cavalry. The slash of the sabre combined with the pressure built by carbon dioxide should send the neck and cork of the bottle flying.

Howard Park’s Jete Sabrage Competition is in it’s third year and is held each August in a venue in Perth.

There is an open call to attendees to try sabring a bottle or two…. then it’s competition time.

In 2020, 15 competitors stepped forward to see who could sabre 8 bottles the fastest. The winner, a principle dancer with the WA Ballet took out the title of ‘Fastest Saberer’.

There is also the ‘Worst Saberer’ award for the most calamitous sabring. In total 450 bottles were sabred under the watchful supervision of Howard Park staff.

Feeling edgy? Check out Howard Park Facebook & Instagram accounts or take out a Wine Club membership if you’d like to attend.

Tip: You’ll need to be quick …. the winning time this year was 11.28 seconds.

From ’50 Great Wine Experiences’ from Gourmet Traveller Wine