WHEN SABERING GOES WRONG

This falls in the category of downright embarrassing. When done right, sabering a bottle of bubbly is nothing short of impressive. Done wrong and well, it’s quite the opposite. On New Year’s Eve, the General Manager at Napa Valley’s famed French Laundry restaurant unsuccessfully sabered a Nebuchadnazeer (15-liter bottle) of Billecart-Salmon reportedly worth $2000. The debacle was, of course, caught on camera and uploaded to the internet where it went viral. With the first swing, part of the bottle’s lip was removed but the cork stayed intact. To make matters worse, after several subsequent failed attempts to dislodge the cork, the GM began hacking at the bottle with the ornamental sword. Ultimately, the bottle exploded, spraying onlookers with very, very expensive yet undrinkable wine along with shards of glass. No one suffered any physical injuries. Pride? Now that’s another matter.