It is champagne's bubbles which give the drink flavour and fizz, and glasses that promote bubbles will improve the drinking experience, scientists say.
Research shows there are up to 30 times more flavour-enhancing chemicals in the bubbles than in the rest of the drink.
Wine experts say the finding changes completely our understanding of the role of bubbles in sparkling drinks.
The study is reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Commenting on the research, Dr Jamie Goode, founder of wineanorak.com, said: "In the past, we thought that the carbon dioxide in the bubbles just gave the wine an acidic bite and a little tingle on the tongue, but this study shows that it is much more than this."read more
