Champagne distinctive "mushroom" shape becomes more apparent. The aging of the Champagne post-disgorgement can to some degree be told by the cork, as, the longer it has been in the bottle, the less it returns to its original cylinder shape. Champagne is usually served in a Champagne flute, whose characteristics include a long stem with a tall, narrow bowl, thin sides and an etched bottom. The intended purpose of the shape of the flute is to reduce surface area, therefore preserving carbonation, as well as maximizing nucleation (the visible bubbles and lines of bubbles). Legend it has it that the Victorian
Glass-to-metal seal glass, the surface has to be properly oxidized. The oxide layer has to have the right thickness; too thin oxide would not provide enough material for the glass to anchor to, too thick oxide would fail in the oxide layer, and in both cases the joint would be weak and possibly non-hermetic. To improve the bonding to glass, the oxide layer should be borated; this is achieved by e.g. dipping the hot part into a concentrated solution of borax and then heating it again for certain time. This treatment stabilizes the oxide layer by forming a thin protective layer of