Uncorked: The science of Champagne

Science News, Dec 4, 2004

UNCORKED: The science of Champagne

GERARD LIGER-BELAIR

Outside of figuring how to avoid a headache or making sure not to take out an eye with a flying cork, most of us don't spend a lot of time thinking about champagne. Liger-Belair does that thinking for us. He is a physicist who has devoted his young career to studying the physical chemistry of bubbles in beverages. Champagne maker Moet & Chandon is supporting his doctoral research. Among the questions Liger-Belair is attempting to answer are, What is the fizz? Can you judge a champagne by the size of its bubbles and how long they last? Why is a long-stemmed flute the best container for prolonging chill and effervescence? What is the future of the industry as a whole? Liger-Belair applies his expertise in fluid dynamics to these questions. He leads readers to an understanding of how bubbles act as vehicles for taste, scent, and the popping sensation that drinkers feel on their tongues and in their noses. Readers learn the history of champagne making. Microscopic images of bubbles and drops accompany many graphs and diagrams. PUP, 2004, 152 p., b&w photos/illus., hardcover, $19.95.