Does the size of a Champagne bottle make a difference in the pressure inside?
Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, but you can call me Vinny. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the fine points of etiquette to the science of winemaking. And don't worry, I'm no wine snob—you can also ask me those "dumb questions" you're too embarrased to ask your wine geek friends! I hope you find my answers educational, empowering and even amusing. And don't forget to check out my most asked questions and my full archives for all my Q&A classics.
Dear Dr. Vinny,
Regardless of the size bottle of sparkling wine, is there any difference in the pressure inside?
—John B., Carmel, Calif.
Dear John,
The pressure inside a bottle of bubbly is typically somewhere between 70 and 90 pounds per square inch. To give you some context, the air pressure in the tires of a car is only about a third of that. That’s why bubbly bottles are so thick.
For the most part, the pressure of sparkling wines is pretty consistent from bottle to bottle, but larger and smaller bottle formats might have slightly less pressure than a standard 750ml bottle. It has to do with the ratio of disgorgement and dosage, or because the wine is transferred from one bottle size to another. But the differences should be negligible, and you aren’t likely to notice them.
—Dr. Vinny
