Jenny's Noodle

Researchers uncorked bottles of a lovely 2008 vintage from Cooperative Nogent l'Abbesse to experiment with the best way to pour champagne. Their findings were recently reported in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. So which pouring method proved better for maximizing flavor—the "traditional way" or the "beer-like way" (illustrated above)?

Studies show that it's the CO2 bubbles - best preserved by colder temperatures - that give champagne its flavor and fizz. In fact, the bubbles hold up to 30 times more flavor-enhancing chemicals than the rest of the drink. The French scientists measured the CO2 lost during the pour in order to find out which method would best conserve the highest concentration of that coveted effervescence.

Two methods were tested—the "traditional" method, with the liquid poured vertically to hit the bottom of the Champagne flute; and the "beer-like way," executed by tilting the glass and gently sliding in the Champagne. The results: the "beer-like way" - at an angle, not straight down - is the best method of pouring bubbly.

Read On the Losses of Dissolved CO2 during Champagne Serving here

[via AP]