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Estimated number of bubbles (in millions) in a glass of Champagne, according to the calculations of Gérard Liger-Belair, a professor on the “Effervescence Team” at the Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne in France. The bubbles, which are clusters of carbon dioxide molecules dissolved in the wine, collect on tiny dust particles inside the Champagne glass until they are big enough to race to the surface. Bubbles are not just textural; they also influence flavor (See “Ask Karen” below).