Recent Progress in the Analytical Chemistry of Champagne and Sparkling Wines

Abstract

The strong interplay between the various parameters at play in a bottle and in a glass of champagne or sparkling wine has been the subject of study for about two decades. After a brief overview of the history of champagne and sparkling wines, this article presents the key steps involved in the traditional method leading to the production of premium modern-day sparkling wines, with a specific focus on quantification of the dissolved CO 2 found in the sealed bottles and in a glass. Moreover, a review of the literature on the various chemical and instrumental approaches used in the analysis of dissolved and gaseous CO 2 , effervescence, foam, and volatile organic compounds is reported.

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