Will Predhomme is the sommelier at Canoe and also consults on wine lists for other restaurants in the Oliver and Bonacini Group. He was the winner in a field of four finalists for the Best Ontario Sommelier award at the end of June.

The sommeliers essentially "perform" a service in front of an audience. Three tables were set up and the different "diners" had different requirements and interests. Each sommelier had to demonstrate good service technique - including decanting and pouring smoothly, and all the while responding to questions. One test was a lengthy wine list with a number of deliberate mistakes beamed on to a screen for everyone to see. Sommeliers are also expected to advise on food pairings, aperitifs and digestifs.

One particularly tough sequence was 10 minutes to blind-taste and identify six wines by grape (or blend), region, country, price level and then give a food match... all while a couple dozen people are staring at you in silence, listening to your every word.

Anyway, Will won, so on to the celebrations afterwards. I've read about it and seen video clips of it and even would love to try it one day. I arrived after the announcement of the winner, but just in time to see Jimson Bienenstock, general manager of George on Queen St. E., sabre a bottle of champagne in celebration.

The technique is said to have originated in the Napoleonic era, when the marauding Hussars wanted to celebrate with champagne, but without the daintiness.

It only takes seconds, but it sure is a flashy way to open a bottle of bubbly.