Are the bubbles in a glass of champagne really caused by the glass being dirty?
The bubbles are caused by two things: 1. Champagne (or, as it is properly referred to as, sparkling wine) is infused with carbon dioxide, at high pressure, which expands upon the opening of the bottle, creating bubbles. 2. The bubbles generally form along the sides of the glass where imperfections in the glass (all glass has imperfections, which is why it is glass and not crystal) allow the expanding gas to accumulate. Thus, bubbles aren’t caused by dirt, but do form where imperfections exist. Pouring salt into a glass of champagne or beer will also have the effect of creating bubbles by giving the gas a place to accumulate.
