Gérard Liger-Belair is a professor of physics at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne. His special research interest is the process leading to the formation of bubbles in champagne and sparkling wines. He is the laureate of numerous international scientific prizes and the author of Le Champagne — Effervescence, la science du champagne (2009).
Guillaume Polidori is a professor of mechanics at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne. His special research interests are the visualisation of flow patterns and convective transfers.


Using microscopic photography, the authors have devised a way of capturing the process of effervescence, in magnificent full-colour images. Revealed here for the first time, these images add an aesthetic dimension to our appreciation of champagne. When poured into a narrow champagne flute, the bubbles are shown to behave in a most spectacular manner.
The microscope shows the bubbles spontaneously organising themselves, forming amazing structures and creating tiny, ephemeral works of art, which scientific observation can translate into a better understanding of the phenomenon of effervescence. The authors’ goal is a practical one: to ensure the best possible wine-tasting experience.

• With more than 400 colour illustrations.
• Effervescence, as revealed here scientifically and aesthetically, is a feast for our taste buds and our eyes.
• A perfect gift for wine-lovers and bubbly enthusiasts, by two physicists from the Champagne area.