A lighter note

This week we got into some heavy thoughts about education. Thank you for going down that road with me. We’ll be right back in it next week, but for today, how about a lighter bit?

BubblesI am a big fan of champagne.

So I read about it whenever possible. I came across an article that discusses new science about the bubbles in sparkling wines**.

Physicists and Chemists came together with the help of mass spectrometry to give a little more heft to the notion that a large part of the enjoyment of Bubbly is the bubbles . . . more specifically, the scent carried by the bubbles.

Let’s take a quick divergence – Sea Mist.

What makes the ocean, The Ocean? Is it the smell of salt, the taste of sea water?According to this study,

… bubbles trapped by the sea breakers action considerably increase exchange surfaces between the sea bulk and the atmosphere.

The (sea) bubbles drag chemicals along their way through the liquid to the sea surface and finally burst and eject aerosol droplets into the atmosphere.

Air bubbles trapped during rough sea conditions were found to increase specific organic concentrations in marine aerosols by several orders of magnitude compared with those found in the liquid.

cropped kateWhat does this mean?

Back to the Bubbly, it means that the toasty, fruity aroma that you associate with champagne is captured in the bubbles in greater concentration than the liquid. That greater concentration is brought to the surface to tickle your nose.

Before he passed away I had the opportunity to sing with Mr. Don Ho himself. It was a delightful experience. Tiny bubbles do indeed make me happy. Have a great weekend.

-Kate

**Liger-Belair, et. al, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.


10 thoughts on “A lighter note”

  1. Ahhhhh Yes – to the weekend! “clink” (that was my online toast) (with my online champagne)

    Lisa McLellan

  2. How about a little Asti? Obviously a bit biased when it comes to this one!

    Jennifer Battaglino

  3. Kate, thank you for the light post to help us cruise through the weekend. Hope you’re having a great one.

  4. You need to make the trip to Epernay if you haven’t and go tour the champagne houses and cellars there.

    And it all started because a monk screwed up…

    Seize the Day,
    Rob

  5. Bubbles make a difference, if nothing else in the texture (ummm funny word to use but seems to fit) of the drink. I knew a woman who added sugar to fizzy drinks to take out the fizz.

    Of course I had to try it too. Yuk. No joy to be found there.

    Keri Eagan

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