What do you think?
Rate this book
Uncorked: The Science of Champagne - Revised Edition
"Uncorked" quenches our curiosity about the inner workings of one of the world's most prized beverages. Esteemed for its freshness, vitality, and sensuality, champagne is a wine of great complexity. Mysteries aplenty gush forth with the popping of that cork. Just what is that fizz? Can you judge champagne quality by how big the bubbles are, how long they last, or how they behave before they fade? And why does serving champagne in a long-stemmed flute prolong its chill and effervescence? Through lively prose and a wealth of state-of-the-art photos, this revised edition of "Uncorked" unlocks the door to what champagne is all about.
Providing an unprecedented close-up view of the beauty in the bubbles, Gerard Liger-Belair presents images that look surprisingly like lovely flowers, geometric patterns, even galaxies as the bubbles rise through the glass and burst forth on the surface. He illustrates how bubbles form not on the glass itself but are "born" out of debris stuck on the glass wall, how they rise, and how they pop. Offering a colorful history of champagne, Liger-Belair tells us how it is made and he asks if global warming could spell champagne's demise. In a brand-new afterword, he updates the reader on new developments in the world of bubble science and delves even more deeply into the processes that give champagne its unique and beautiful character.
Bubbly may tickle the nose, but "Uncorked" tackles what the nose and the naked eye cannot--the spectacular science that gives champagne its charm and champagne drinkers immeasurable pleasure.
Providing an unprecedented close-up view of the beauty in the bubbles, Gerard Liger-Belair presents images that look surprisingly like lovely flowers, geometric patterns, even galaxies as the bubbles rise through the glass and burst forth on the surface. He illustrates how bubbles form not on the glass itself but are "born" out of debris stuck on the glass wall, how they rise, and how they pop. Offering a colorful history of champagne, Liger-Belair tells us how it is made and he asks if global warming could spell champagne's demise. In a brand-new afterword, he updates the reader on new developments in the world of bubble science and delves even more deeply into the processes that give champagne its unique and beautiful character.
Bubbly may tickle the nose, but "Uncorked" tackles what the nose and the naked eye cannot--the spectacular science that gives champagne its charm and champagne drinkers immeasurable pleasure.
- GenresWineNonfiction
216 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2004
4 people are currently reading
210 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 5, 2013
This elegantly written little book combines several things I am very fond of:
Science: Since I trained in Marine Science, the physics of the life and behaviour of bubbles is very much my cup of tea... or glass of champagne.
Art: As a hobby artist I loved the stunning time sequence black and white photography as well as the stills from the high speed video.
Champagne! Wonderful stuff that it is, this book starts out presenting some of the history of and techniques of champagne making.
The straightforward elegance with which it is written makes this a very pleasant book to read. The author is a physicist who, having got his masters, looked around and wondered who was going to employ a scientist of bubbles. He settled on the research department of Moet & Chandon, an industry with a decided stack in bubbles and their behaviour.
This book covers his years of research into bubbles and the science behind their behaviour. I won’t describe it all, as it is a smallish book and anyone interested should read it, but I will say I enjoyed it thoroughly and savoured it slowly.
As a revised addition, the afterword is a significant chapter in which the author updates the ten years of work since the first publication, including a section on the pouring of champagne and the glass it should be poured into; this section has some lovely infrared images of the carbon dioxide overflow of pouring champagne.
Finally, in compliance with FTC guidelines, I must disclose (that sounds so very ominous doe’s it?) that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Science: Since I trained in Marine Science, the physics of the life and behaviour of bubbles is very much my cup of tea... or glass of champagne.
Art: As a hobby artist I loved the stunning time sequence black and white photography as well as the stills from the high speed video.
Champagne! Wonderful stuff that it is, this book starts out presenting some of the history of and techniques of champagne making.
The straightforward elegance with which it is written makes this a very pleasant book to read. The author is a physicist who, having got his masters, looked around and wondered who was going to employ a scientist of bubbles. He settled on the research department of Moet & Chandon, an industry with a decided stack in bubbles and their behaviour.
This book covers his years of research into bubbles and the science behind their behaviour. I won’t describe it all, as it is a smallish book and anyone interested should read it, but I will say I enjoyed it thoroughly and savoured it slowly.
As a revised addition, the afterword is a significant chapter in which the author updates the ten years of work since the first publication, including a section on the pouring of champagne and the glass it should be poured into; this section has some lovely infrared images of the carbon dioxide overflow of pouring champagne.
Finally, in compliance with FTC guidelines, I must disclose (that sounds so very ominous doe’s it?) that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
February 6, 2017
This was so fantastic--it was well-written, clear, and informative. It presented a lot of information about champagne that I was curious about and explained the physics that caused it. This was written by a physicist and there were many very beautiful, precise specific photographs of champagne bubbles. The book was short. I liked the wide, short paper trim with large margins, large letting, and double-spaced formatting (I scoffed a bit at first, but honestly it helped me to understand what was going on better and showed the photographs in fantastic detail). Overall, extremely well-done, though the Afterword and Foreword weren't necessary.
July 5, 2024
More than a book of Champagne, is a book about the science behind champagne bubbles. Having a scientific background, I enjoyed the discussions and scientific arguments behind the behavior of bubble formation and movement, but, even well and simple explained, is still technical for just "champagne lovers". I still recommend it's reading to realize that even the simplest and most enjoyable things can be affordable through science.
January 23, 2011
A brief history and overview of the making of champagne followed by probably more than the average person wants to know about the physics of bubbles. I was intrigued, but then I like this kind of stuff. A quick, interesting and fairly enertaining read.
October 6, 2013
Won this on Good Reads. I don't drink but it was absolutely fascinating. I loved it! For anyone who is interested in wines and spirits, is a chef, etc, this is a must have in your collection. I love the way the author put this book together. It was fun! Great book! Thanks for sending it to me!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews