Why would one glass of Champagne not be as effervescent as another? It could be to do with the cleanliness of the glass, says our expert.
Claire Foster, Hampshire, asks: We recently opened a bottle of Champagne Doyard, Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 2007 that we’d cellared, having brought it back from a visit to the vineyard some years ago. The first glass was far less bubbly than the second, and we were both stumped as to how or why.
Champagne expert Michael Edwards replies for Decanter:
Doyard is an excellent producer of very fine blanc de blancs from top Vertus vineyards.
The probable cause for this discrepancy between the two glasses is that one of them was not perfectly clean and/or had a residue of soapiness.
This has a marked negative effect on the mousse. Perhaps the second glass was washed in the dishwasher?
With really fine wine, particularly Champagne, it is preferable to handwash your glasses, then rinse thoroughly with water before drying and polishing with a clean, dry tea towel.
This question first appeared in the July 2018 issue of Decanter magazine. Read more Decanter magazine articles online here.
