Why champagne fizzes in a glass

A scientist has now closely examined the factors that affect these bubbles, and he has come up with an estimate of just how many are in each glass. Wine journalists and bloggers often cite 15 million as the average number of bubbles fizzing in a single glass of champagne, based on some simple mathematics. Sounds impressive, but Liger-Belair suspected that the formula leading to this estimate oversimplified the matter. Also, the size of the bubbles changes over time, and this could affect the final number.

Liger-Belair wanted to set the record straight. Taking into consideration temperature, bubble dynamics and the tilt of a flute, Liger-Belair came up with a new way to calculate the number of bubbles in a glass of champagne. But the careful addition of sugar and yeast to a white wine is a central part of making any champagne.

As the microorganisms digest the sugar, they release carbon dioxide that dissolves in the wine around them. They are the source of those characteristic bubbles. The more sugar, the larger the bubbles and the more of them, as boosting the amount of energy available to the yeast means they release more gas. A complex series of chemical reactions between yeast and sugar helps create this storm of fizz Credit: Getty Images.

But the tiny bodies have also been removed, because a champagne bottle does not stay inviolate between the addition of yeast and its arrival with the customer. To get the sludge of yeast corpses, called lees, out of the wine, champagne makers tip the bottles upside down and store them in angled racks, going through every now and then to gently rotate the bottles.

These traditional wooden racks are called pupitres; eventually it became possible to purchase a device charmingly named the Pupi-Matic that would turn the bottles itself. In a flute, however, while the bubbles mix the liquid more completely than a coupe, the narrow aperture highly concentrates the CO2 and irritates the nose.

We have pain receptors for high levels of CO2 and the bubbles popping out of a flute will active these in our nose and mouths, thus affecting the aromas and taste.

A coupe, on the other hand, will dilute the effect of the CO2 on the nose, but will also minimise the bubbles' ability to bring flavours and scents to the surface. Bigger is not always better Fact five : Traditionally bubbles were prized for their large size but nowadays you've probably been told if a champagne has smaller bubbles it's better.

The trend is out there though and champagne producers seem eager to give us smaller and smaller bubbles. As size is determined by dissolved CO2, the less sugar producers will add during the second fermentation and the smaller the bubbles will be - which also contributes to drier and drier taste profiles. The team at Reims has found that bubbles are better conserved in magnums 1. This is because of the volume of CO2 dissolved in the larger volume of liquid and the quantity of CO2 that can escape the cork, which is likely to be the same size as a standard bottle.

So the moral of our story and our guide to better bubbles - pour from a magnum of champagne into a tilted wine glass. JavaScript is not enabled! For information on how to enable Javascript on your browser click here. Home Champagne 6 fascinating facts behind champagne's bubbles. Home Champagne 6 fascinating facts behind champagne's bubbles Share. Scientists at the University of Reims, France have discovered that tiny gas pockets and fibers stuck on the inside of a glass—from dust or a towel used for drying—influence the timing of the bubble trains.

Filming bubbles in a lab setting with high-speed cameras, Liger-Belair observed that as the concentration of carbon dioxide decreases in the Champagne, the distance between bubbles can suddenly change.

That's why your celebratory beverage bubbles at different rates as you sip.