Champagne Bubbles

Tiny bubbles are the essence of fine champagnes and sparkling wines.
The bubbles, formed during the release of large amounts of dissolved carbon dioxide, help transfer the taste, aroma, and mouth-feel of champagne. Scientists have thought that the act of pouring a glass of champagne could have a big impact on gas levels in champagne and its quality.
Scientists in France have studied carbon dioxide loss in champagne using two different pouring methods:

• pouring champagne straight down the middle of a glass
• pouring champagne down the side of an angled glass

They found that pouring champagne down the side of an angled glass preserved up to twice as much carbon dioxide in champagne compared to pouring it straight down the middle.
They also showed that cooler temperatures help reduce carbon dioxide loss.

Reference:
Liger-Belair et al. On the Losses of Dissolved CO2 during Champagne Serving. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2010; 58 (15): 8768 DOI: 10.1021/jf101239w

Study Questions

1. What is the formula for carbon dioxide?
2. Is carbon dioxide a polar or non-polar molecule?
3. What is the structural formula for ethanol?
4. Is ethanol a polar or non-polar molecule?
5. Would you expect carbon dioxide to dissolve in ethanol? Explain your answer.
6. Describe an experiment you could conduct to test the hypothesis that cooler temperatures reduce carbon dioxide loss in champagne.