nucleation site

English · bubble-forming point

Nucleation sites are micro-cavities in the glass or particles such as dust or fibres where bubbles form; without them there is no effervescence.1

What happens in the glass

The wine holds dissolved carbon dioxide from the prise de mousse. Bubbles of it are released at nucleation sites; this release is effervescence.1 Rising bubbles collect at the surface as mousse and gather against the side of the glass in a ring, the collerette.1

The physics is covered in bubbles and glass shape; practical advice in glasses.

The glass matters too: UMC regards the tulip glass, an egg-shaped bowl narrowing at the top, as today's standard, and the coupe as poor because the bouquet escapes and the mousse does not develop.2

See also

How a bubble is born, rises and burstsScienceeffervescenceGlossarymousseGlossaryFlute or coupe: CO2 above the glassSciencecollerette (collar)Glossary

Sources

  1. Union des Maisons de Champagne (UMC). The language of the senses
  2. Union des Maisons de Champagne (UMC). Choosing the right wine glass

Facts checked on 2026-10-19