Champagne: the mysteries of efferve-science
Thursday, May 18 – International Hall
Gérard Liger-Belair,
University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne (France)
On average, nearly ten champagne corks are popped every second worldwide! And this figure obviously explodes on New Year’s Eve. For several years now, champagne and sparkling wines in the broadest sense have experienced unprecedented growth. The waltz of bubbles in a goblet is no stranger to this incredible infatuation. The effervescence that pervades the goblet generates a myriad of phenomena of unsuspected complexity, awakening all the senses. The seminar is an overview of the physicochemical processes that accompany a champagne tasting, from the uncorking of the bottle, to the bursting of a bubble, through the essential role of the glass in tasting. Deeply inscribed in the collective imagination, the champagne bubble becomes a pretext for a scientific walk that will take you into the fascinating world of dissolved gases, phase changes, and fluids in motion. You will discover the bubble waltz as you have never seen it before. Enjoy your journey into the heart of effervescence!

