SPOON IN A BOTTLE

People have been trying to keep the bubbles in their bubbly for as long as the drink has been around.

Does a silver teaspoon in the top of an unfinished bottle of sparkling wine preserve the bubble? The next day, the wine can sometimes be just as lively as when it was opened and people who use the technique often swear by it.

The sparkling wine and teaspoon experiment has been tested informally, yet no research has ever proved that the technique works. A bottle of sparkling wine responds to atmospheric pressure when opened – that pop, bang or sigh you hear is the pressure between the inside and outside of the bottle suddenly equalising. The carbon-dioxide gas dissolved in the wine begins to release and we see this as bubbles when a glass is poured. The more you agitate the juice, the more gas is released – sometimes you have to wait until the bubbles subside before topping a glass because you’re pouring too fast.

One theory is that if you keep a bottle of opened sparkling wine as still as possible once opened, the dissolved gas trapped in the wine will mostly remain intact. Only disturbing the juice will cause the gas to escape. When you need to pour a glass 24 hours after first opening the bottle, do it gently and slowly and you will likely have a better result. If the bubble isn’t quite showing, just add a pinch of castor sugar to the wine and see the bubbles miraculously come to life.

Using a proper pressure seal is undoubtedly best, though the spoon in the bottle can help to remind you that you are opening the fridge door too fast. The tinkle the spoon makes against the glass is a reminder to take it easy.