I Love Science
Champagne Science...
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With New Year's Eve approaching, this seemed like a good time to provide some science facts.
[u]Tiny Bubbles[/u]
Champagne would be just another white wine without those bubbles. A study a few years back examined temperature, dynamics of the bubbles and even the angle of a flute. It concluded that there are approximately one million bubbles in each glass.
[u]Under Pressure[/u]
All those excited bubbles of carbon dioxide are just aching to escape. A bottle of champagne is holding back three-to-five times the pressure of a car tire. The warmer the bubbly, the more the pressure builds and the faster the cork flies when you pop it open.
[u]Pop Goes The Cork[/u]
Don't underestimate the force of that flying cork; which can travel as much as 50 miles per hour (80 kph). Eye injuries caused by corks are one of the biggest hazards over the holidays. To minimize this, make sure the champagne is well chilled and wrap the top of the bottle with a towel to contain the cork.
[u]The Perfect Pour[/u]
Drinking from a flute preserves much more of the carbon dioxide bubbles than using an old fashioned round coupe. That is because the flute has much less surface area for the bubbles to escape. To preserve the bubbles, tilt the glass and pour down the side. This results in less aeration - and more bubbles.
[u]A Drink For All Senses[/u]
When the champagne is poured, the bubbles rise the length of the glass; dragging along molecules of flavor from as many as 600 chemical compounds. As you bring the glass closer to your mouth, the bursting of bubbles delivers aromatic molecules to your nose; which produce some of the champagne's aroma. Drinking the champagne also excites special receptors on the tongue that detect fizziness. This heightens the sensation -- and without them, the drink would taste pretty ordinary.
With New Year's Eve approaching, this seemed like a good time to provide some science facts.
[u]Tiny Bubbles[/u]
Champagne would be just another white wine without those bubbles. A study a few years back examined temperature, dynamics of the bubbles and even the angle of a flute. It concluded that there are approximately one million bubbles in each glass.
[u]Under Pressure[/u]
All those excited bubbles of carbon dioxide are just aching to escape. A bottle of champagne is holding back three-to-five times the pressure of a car tire. The warmer the bubbly, the more the pressure builds and the faster the cork flies when you pop it open.
[u]Pop Goes The Cork[/u]
Don't underestimate the force of that flying cork; which can travel as much as 50 miles per hour (80 kph). Eye injuries caused by corks are one of the biggest hazards over the holidays. To minimize this, make sure the champagne is well chilled and wrap the top of the bottle with a towel to contain the cork.
[u]The Perfect Pour[/u]
Drinking from a flute preserves much more of the carbon dioxide bubbles than using an old fashioned round coupe. That is because the flute has much less surface area for the bubbles to escape. To preserve the bubbles, tilt the glass and pour down the side. This results in less aeration - and more bubbles.
[u]A Drink For All Senses[/u]
When the champagne is poured, the bubbles rise the length of the glass; dragging along molecules of flavor from as many as 600 chemical compounds. As you bring the glass closer to your mouth, the bursting of bubbles delivers aromatic molecules to your nose; which produce some of the champagne's aroma. Drinking the champagne also excites special receptors on the tongue that detect fizziness. This heightens the sensation -- and without them, the drink would taste pretty ordinary.
