You may have heard the one about putting the end of a silver spoon down into an open bottle of champagne. The story goes that it keeps a bottle bubbly for days after you pop the cork. We've done it—many times. And you know what? The champagne does stay bubbly until at least the next day, but not for the reason you think...
Does Putting a Spoon into Champagne Keep it Bubbly?
Turns out the spoon has nothing to do with it. Robert L. Wolke, the food scientist and author of What Einstein Told His Cook 2 has debunked the spoon myth, saying there's nothing about the handle of a spoon that will keep champagne fizzy.
The truth is that champagne simply does not go flat as fast as beer or soda because it is clear. He writes:
In order for a dissolved gas to escape from a liquid, the gas molecules must have a microscopic speck of material (a nucleation site) upon which to congregate until there are enough of them to form a bubble. The main reason that true Champagne stays bubble longer is that it is extremely clear and speck-free.
Then there is an explanation of the process by which true Champagne is clarified. So we're guessing that cheap sparkling wine may not stay bubbly as long. Another tip: Make sure you refrigerate it. Carbon dioxide stays dissolved to a greater extend in cold liquid.
For us, the shiny spoon peeking from the back of the fridge is at least a reflective reminder to make mimosas in the morning....
Buy Wolke's book: What Einstein Told His Cook 2, at Amazon
Related: Local Clinton Vineyards Cassis Makes a Local Kir Royale
(Image: Flickr member oskay, licensed under Creative Commons)
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Tips & Techniques, Wine, Food Science, champagne, Robert WolkeRelated Links
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mmmm....mimosas....
view EmmieB's profile
Very interesting, though I hadn't even heard that in the first place...
Emily
view Emily Sneds's profile
Hehe, the Mythbusters disproved that old housewife's trick a couple of seasons ago ;D
view Herzleid's profile
This makes sense - I read somewhere that the reason champagne bubbles in your glass was because of the tiny dust particles in the glass. The more dust, the more bubbles!
view Marie's profile
I wonder if it also stays bubbly longer because it's in a glass bottle - plastic has way more nucleation sites than smooth glass does. You can see it when you pour any bubbly beverage into a clean glass vs. a plastic cup - try it!
view ScienceandtheCity's profile
Someone related... we have a specially made champagne stopper that we purchased in Michigan while touring several vineyards in the Leelanau Peninsula. Here's a link:
http://www.lmawby.com/buy/accoutredetail.asp?id=11
It really works! In fact, when removing it a day or two after opening the bottle, it is still necessary to use caution as it has a tendency to blow off the bottle just as the original cork does.
view marthag's profile
someone=somewhat*
view marthag's profile
A friend of mine has something from France for champagne bottles that looks very much like the end of a spoon, and it works very well. It is pewter or silver and -- unlike a spoon -- it has a fat, cork-shaped thing that covers the opening of the bottle. It is about the same length as a spoon though. Worth picking up if you see one . . . .
view Tiny Banquet's profile
...and who, pray tell, ever has left over champagne?
view Saramcgo's profile