Why does a teaspoon stop a bottle of champagne from going flat?

Question

Years ago I was told if I put a metal teaspoon, upside down in an open bottle of champagne it will not go flat. It actually works. I have kept a bottle in the fridge for as long as three days and it tasted the same as the day I opened it. Works much better than a cork.

Answer 1

The spoon makes no difference.

It is an old wives tale -- and to becorrect the spoon must be made of silver.


The fact is that the the spoon makes absolutely no difference.

You put champagne in lower case: it is important to understand that the story refers to Champagne -- i.e the wine from Champagne, France, but in fact any wine made by the Champagne method works the same (but not cheap copies or coca-cola).

If you put the bottle upright in the fridge door the rising bubbles create a layer of carbon dioxide on the surface of the wine that seals the bottle and thus the bubbles are preserved --whether or not there is a silver (or plastic)spoon in the neck.

But to get even better bubbles, use a purpose made fizz preserver.

And if you regularly have unfinished Champagne may I suggest buying half bottles? They are great when you want just 3 glasses (1.5 between two people)

Answer 2

Spoon In Champagne Bottle

Answer 3

I am pretty sure the metal in the spoon has a chemical reaction with the champagne. I remember in all of my food safety clases the stressed to us never to leave metal utensils in the food. For some reason sour cream was a big one. Never leave a metal spoon in sour cream. Don't know if this helps, but I can only tell you what I know.

Answer 4

So you mean 'bottling up of emotion'? (here - Love). You may mean it literally, but metaphorically, bottling up of emotion(s), lead to an ocean of emotion forming within, with huge waves, longing to connect and you can't just let it out as per your own wish. It comes out like a volcanic eruption whenever it wants to. It's like a coiled spring - the more you thrust it and force yourself on it, the moment you leave it, the higher it will bounce back. So, never bottle up emotion(s). What eventually will come out will not be love, but only misery. Love chooses you, and you don't choose love. Love is like falling in it before even realising, so perhaps, one can never ever 'decide' when to be loved and when not be since 'decision making' ventures nowhere near it. Therefore, bottling it up would only show your insecurity - as if you want to own it and want it to behave the way you want to. Further, we all possess love inside which manifests itself when the time is right & ripe. And then connect with the other. It just flows.. so when you can't possibly cage or bottle the love you possess within yourself, it's never wise, to put someone's love inside a bottle and then tag it as 'my love'. It's no longer yours. It's yours when you give it wings and just let it fly.. high!

Answer 5

That is pretty wild, I don't know why, but I'll be checking in to see if anyone has the answer...good question. Michael Chiarello puts a raisin in his to keep the fizz.