Santa Barbara: Watch a pro behead a Champagne bottle at a $150 dinner The wine cellar at Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara holds 12,000 bottles of wine. Jim Bartsch / Bacara Resort & Spa By Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times Daily Deal and Travel Blogger January 3, 2014, 7:30 a.m. Have you ever witnessed a sabrage? It's the art of opening a Champagne bottle by slicing off the bottle's head with a saber. If you don't believe me, you can watch a pro perform the bubbly beheading at a $150 dinner at Bacarat Resort & Spa near Santa Barbara. Nicholas Krafft, an executive with French luxury silver maker Christofle, also is a well-known sabrage and Champagne master with a certificate from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust based in London. Krafft shares his knowledge and his sabrage skills during a Meet the Masters dinner on Feb. 20 at the coastal resort in Goleta. The evening begins with a Perrier-Jouet Champagne and hors d'oeuvres reception on the terrace of the resort's Miro restaurant. From 7 to 9 p.m., diners enjoy a four-course tasting menu paired with wines selected by Krafft. The meal takes place inside the resort's wine cellar filled with 12,000 bottles. It's one in a series in which diners share an intimate meal and learn about wines, Champagne, sake and more. On Jan. 16, Fred Dame, a member of the Court of Master Sommeliers, leads a dinner. Out-of-towners can save up to 35% on rooms booked online for a limited time. On March 20, Yuji Matsumoto, a sake sommelier and shochu (a distilled Japanese beverage) specialist, is the featured guest. Tickets for each dinner cost $150 a person. Seating is limited, and reservations are recommended. Info: Meet the Masters dinners at Bacarat Resort & Spa, (855) 968-0100