How many bubbles in a glass of bubbly? Fewer than you'd think

How much fizz is in your glass of fizz is vital to its look, taste, mouthfeel and aroma. A single glass of champagne or sparkling wine is generally thought to contain around 15 million bubbles on average.

But a French chemist has challenged this figure, suggesting that the mathematical formula used to arrive at this estimate has oversimplified the matter. According to Gérard Liger-Belair, this figure doesn’t take into account that some of the dissolved carbon dioxide escapes from a glass without forming bubbles. Also, the size of the bubbles changes over time, and this could affect the final number.

Taking into consideration temperature, bubble dynamics and the angle of a champagne flute, Liger-Belair came up with a new way to calculate the number of bubbles in a glass of champagne - and the number is far lower than the often-cited 15 million.

“One million bubbles seems to be a reasonable approximation for the whole number of bubbles likely to form if you resist drinking champagne from your flute,” he said.

For those who prefer more bubbles in their bubbly, Liger-Belair suggests serving it warmer than usual and tilting the glass before pouring.

Liger-Belair’s report appears in the American Chemical Society’s The Journal of Physical Chemistry B.

The authors received funding from the Europôl’ Agro Institute and l’Association Recherche Oenologie Champagne Université.