Champagne Sabrage & Tasting in France: Learn to Saber Bottles

Share a memorable moment with a passionate winemaker amid lush vineyards.

Champagne sabrage is the art of opening a bottle with a sword or saber, and you'll learn it or watch it happen in a working vineyard in France's Champagne region. The winemaker demonstrates the technique on one bottle per group, then you taste the sabered bottle alongside three other cuvées (a Brut Tradition, a rosé, and a blanc de blancs) plus a reserve vintage and a frosted cocktail. You can book the demonstration alone or add a hands-on tutorial so you saber the bottle yourself, with 24 hours' notice required for the hands-on option.

The experience

Sabrage started as a Napoleonic cavalry tradition and has become a showstopper at celebrations. Here, the winemaker performs the technique in the vineyard itself, using a saber or sword to slice the bottle's neck clean off: a move that looks dramatic but works because champagne's pressure does most of the work. The bottle they saber becomes your first tasting, served on the spot while you're still in the vineyard.

The tasting that follows covers the house's range: a Brut Tradition, a fruity rosé cuvée, a blanc de blancs labeled Cuvée Finesse, a Great Vintage Reserve, and a frosted cocktail. You'll spend roughly an hour here, moving between the sabrage moment and the tasting itself. Free parking is included, and the activity runs rain or shine. If weather turns bad, the sabrage moves indoors but the experience stays the same.

Two options exist at checkout. The standard booking gets you the demonstration and tasting. If you want to saber the bottle yourself, you'll add the hands-on tutorial for an extra fee per person, though you'll need to reserve it at least 24 hours ahead. Either way, you leave with the bottle you tasted and a memory of champagne opened the way the cavalry did it.

What’s included

• Champagne sabrage demonstration by the winemaker.
• the sabered bottle for tasting on the spot.
• four additional champagnes including a Brut Tradition, rosé, blanc de blancs, and reserve vintage.
• a frosted cocktail.
• free car parking.

Options for this experience

2 options

Champagne tasting plus a sabering demonstration09:00, 10:30, 14:00 and 15:30

Champagne tasting with a sabering experience09:00, 10:30, 14:00 and 15:30Sabering experience: take a turn at opening a Champagne bottle with a sabre, guided by the winegrower (one bottle per person)

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:00, 10:30, 14:00 and 15:30

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 8

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 14 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomeNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Champagne Pierre Laurent

Is this one for you?Book the demonstration option if you want the spectacle and the tasting without handling the saber yourself. Choose the hands-on tutorial if you want to saber the bottle. Just reserve it a full day ahead, and plan to arrive ready to learn the technique from the winemaker.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

Can I try sabrage myself, or do I just watch?

You can choose at checkout. The standard option includes the winemaker's demonstration and tasting. For an additional fee per person, you can book the hands-on tutorial and saber the bottle yourself under the winemaker's guidance. Just reserve it 24 hours in advance.

What champagnes will I taste?

The tasting includes a Brut Tradition, a fruity rosé cuvée, a blanc de blancs called Cuvée Finesse, a Great Vintage Reserve, and a frosted cocktail: five drinks total, with the sabered bottle as your first taste.

What happens if the weather is bad?

The sabrage demonstration moves indoors if conditions turn poor, so the activity goes ahead either way. You'll still taste the sabered bottle and the full range of cuvées.

Is there parking at the vineyard?

Yes, free parking is included with your booking.

What's the minimum age for this activity?

You must be at least 18 years old to participate.