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Not only is Champagne tasty to drink, it’s also wickedly fun to open. One of the best parts about opening a bottle of Champagne — or any sparkling wine, for that matter — is the loud pop and fizz that go with it.

While the iconic pop sounds like fun and games, there's actually a lot of pressure in the situation. Yes, the average bottle of bubbly contains scientifically measured and verified pressure, about 70-90 pounds per square inch of the bottle. For context, that’s about two or three times the pressure found in a standard car tire.

This pressure comes from the second fermentation step in making sparkling wine, which typically occurs directly inside the bottle. As sugar and yeast ferment inside the bottle, the resulting alcohol and carbon dioxide dissolve in the wine, creating additional bubbles and a build up of pressure.

Curious to learn more? Find links for VinePair’s Wine 101 Sparkling Wine podcast episode here.