What Is the Science Behind Champagne Bubbles?

In champagne, sparkling wines and beers, carbon dioxide (CO2) is the principal agent that produces gas bubbles, which form when yeast ferments sugars, converting them into alcohol and carbon dioxide molecules. Industrial carbonation is the source of the fizz in soda drinks.The easy and short answer is that sparkling wine can only be called Champagne if it comes from the region of Champagne, France which is located just outside of Paris.

Carbon dioxide gas is at the heart of champagne’s famous bubbly character. In an unopen bottle of champagne, the carbon dioxide dissolved in the wine is in balance, or equilibrium, with gas in the space between the cork and the liquid.

Carbon dioxide gas is at the heart of champagne’s famous bubbly character. In an unopen bottle of champagne, the carbon dioxide dissolved in the wine is in balance, or equilibrium, with gas in the space between the cork and the liquid. Uncorking releases the gas and throws off the equilibrium.

The fizz forces our intestines to absorb the alcoholic contents of the Champagne at a faster rate. This is why Champagne gets you more intoxicated than a glass of flat white wine.

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.

First, it triggers a sudden drop in pressure at the expense of those precious bubbles that have been so many years in the making. Second, it causes a loss of wine that can be considerable if the bottle has been shaken or insufficiently chilled. Third, the popping of a Champagne cork is actually quite dangerous.

The bubbles are actually born inside the champagne flute — forming on little imperfections and impurities that let the carbon dioxide molecules collect together to make a bubble.

Tyson Stelzer, Decanter expert and author of The Champagne Guide 2016, replies: Yes, smaller bubbles are an indicator of quality. The méthode traditionnelle process through which all Champagne and the finest sparkling wines are produced creates the bubbles during the second fermentation in the bottle.

“From the acoustical data we could tell that the bubbles in the fancier champagne were smaller, slightly, that there is less variation in bubble size and that there was more bubble activity in general,” said Spratt, although he noted the bubbles only differed in diameter by about 5% between the two wines.

Carbon dioxide is the name of the gas that causes bubbles in sparkling wine. The gas is dissolved into the liquid and kept trapped by the pressure inside the closed bottle.

That’s because alcohol depresses the central nervous system. It has a sedative effect that helps you relax and makes you drowsy, so you fall asleep faster. Researchers have found that the sedative effect only lasts for the first part of the night, though.

Essentially, it is a carbonated wine. Think prosecco, cava, and sekt. And yes, champagne is also a sparkling wine; however, as you now know, not all sparkling wine is champagne.

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