Every year millions of bottles of champagne are popped on New Year’s Eve, but what makes this effervescent beverage so appealing?
Here are a few fun facts to stoke your interest.
• All Champagne is sparkling wine, not all sparkling wine is Champagne. This is due to that fact that the name “Champagne’ designates the region of France where it’s produced.
• According to her biographer, Marilyn Monroe once took a bath in champagne. 350 bottles were required to fill the bathtub.
• The longest recorded distance achieved by a popped champagne cork is 77 feet.
• Champagne is generally carbonated white wine, with a few exceptions. Australian Sparkling Shiraz, Portuguese Espumante, and Spanish Cava are three examples of sparkling red wines.
• Champagne ranges from Brut (dry) to Doux (sweet).
• Serving Champagne chilled prevents foaming and the loss of wine.
• It’s speculated that carbonation helps alcohol reach your bloodstream faster. Chugging champagne almost ensures a headache, hence the recommendation to sip.
• Flute glasses are specifically designed to keep champagne carbonated for longer.
• Dom Pérignon was a French Benedictine monk traditionally credited with discovering Champagne. According to legend, Dom Pérignon exclaimed “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!” with his first sip.
• There are approximately 50 million bubbles in a standard bottle of champagne.
• A popped champagne cork can reach speeds of around 40 mph.
• The pressure in a corked bottle of champagne is around 90 pounds per square inch, or roughly 6 atmospheres of pressure.
