rfs wrote:
> It's ********. The way to keep the fizz in sparkling wine is to make
> sure it's well chilled before opening (chem 101, the colder it is, the
> less gas that the liquid will give up) and treat it gently when
> pouring, you want minimal sloshing inside the bottle.
> Keep it in the coldest part of the fridge overnight and you'll have
> plenty of bubbles the following afternoon or evening.
>

Sorry, but your Chem 101 is a bit rusty it would seem. The issue is the
solubility of carbonic acid (hydrated CO2) in water-ethanol. Solubility
does not generally increase at lower temperature; quite the contrary, in
fact. Additionally, if you should reach a critical point (freezing
point, in this case) you would degas the solution as solubility goes to
zero at all critical points. Fortunately, it takes some doing to freeze
a sparkling wine, so we don't usually have to worry about that
possibility. To get back to the main point, the best way to keep it
fizzy is to place it under pressure, ideally under an atmosphere of
carbon dioxide. In fact, you can make a still wine fizzy under those
conditions! ;-)

Mark Lipton