The Joy of Bubbles: Pour Yourself Some Stars
The Joy of Bubbles: Pour Yourself Some Stars Bubbles in wine have a history that precedes capturing and preserving the bubbles in a bottle. As a natural byproduct of the fermentation process, carbon dioxide is released in the liquid to provide a “sparkle.” The English imported wine in casks. They found that adding a bit of sugar to tart, acidic wine would often cause it to sparkle – and they found they just loved that sparkle! The English wine bottles were much thicker and stronger than those in France and were not inclined to burst when pressure built up. But, as we all know, the great success of sparkling wines in the French district of Champagne made its name so famous that “champagne” has become the generic name for sparkling wines. However, today, no sparkling wines – other than those that come from the district of Champagne may use that name to distinguish their wines. Although in recent years, California sparkling wines are rapidly becoming renowned throughout the world.