Recent scientific research has confirmed that aging wine underwater has real and measurable effects on the final quality of the product. The methodology of underwater aging is being refined and has effectively become a new “oenological practice” that, if used properly, offers interesting results in the tasting glass as well as positive implications for sustainability. More and more companies, from north to south of the country, are investing in this new cellar practice. With 8,300 kilometers of coastline and over 1,450 square kilometers of lake surface, Italy is the country where new techniques for aging on seabeds and lakebeds could have the most interesting developments. This is no longer just a trend.
When and Why the Sea Benefits Wine
With 8,300 kilometers of coastline and over 1,450 square kilometers of lake surface, Italy, with its millennia-old production tradition where wine has often been strongly influenced by marine environments even in production practices, is the country where new underwater wine aging techniques (both in the sea and lakes) could see the most interesting developments. Nowadays, there is no Italian region without at least one winery engaged in creating underwater cellars, both in marine and lacustrine areas, following the commercial success of the initial experiments, which were driven more by marketing and communication than by scientific experimentation.
However, research has now arrived, driven by curiosity (and necessity) to understand the origin of the objective organoleptic differences presented by the same wines depending on whether they are aged in the aerial environment of the cellar or in baskets placed on the seabed and lakebeds. Thus, real aging protocols are beginning to take shape, varying not only based on the grape variety and the wine’s production location, its physicochemical composition, and its evolutionary potential, but also considering the characteristics (depth, marine currents, type of seabed, etc.) of the aquatic environments where the cages with bottles are left to age. Consequently, a phenomenon born out of fashion, inspired by the discovery of some galleons in oceanic depths, is being rediscovered as a new “oenological practice,” with its technical-scientific dignity yielding surprising results in some respects. And the market is rewarding this trend. An innovative trend where Italy can play a special role. Because in addition to the world-leading viticultural biodiversity and variety of wine-growing territories, we can now also add unparalleled richness in underwater environments, both marine and lacustrine, offering our companies a unique opportunity for experimentation.
A study conducted by the University of Florence has demonstrated that aging wine in the sea “has an effect on the quality of the final product,” with varying results among different types of wine. The number of companies investing in this new oenological practice is growing significantly, yielding interesting qualitative and market outcomes. The methodology for underwater cellaring is being refined, offering businesses positive sustainability benefits. The collection of new data from various experiments being conducted in our country’s seas—from Liguria to Sicily along the Tyrrhenian coast, and from Emilia-Romagna to Puglia along the Adriatic coast—as well as the feedback from wine tastings, confirms the validity of this aging technique if properly utilized.
When It All Began
From evocative storytelling to an intriguing oenological alternative, the method of underwater cellaring has been gaining more and more substance over the years. It all began with a “serendipitous and, for wine enthusiasts, fortunate discovery” in 2010 when some divers explored the Åland archipelago, between Sweden and Finland, searching for the wreck of a German ship that had sunk in the area. Luck smiled on Christian Ekström and his friends when they indeed found a hull at about 40 meters deep in the icy waters. They couldn’t confirm if it was the one mentioned by nearby islands, but they noticed some bottles and decided to bring a few to the surface. Upon opening the first one, driven by curiosity or the desire to taste its contents, they were surprised to find drinkable Champagne inside instead of salt water. It was later discovered that this sparkling wine had been preserved for about 170-180 years and still had something to offer. But how was this possible? The answers to this question are many and often quite complex, involving primarily chemistry and physics, with some details still unknown.
The discovery made headlines worldwide and sparked new interest that immediately intrigued a small group of oenologists and producers. Experiments with underwater aging began to spread, initially focusing on sparkling wines. Among these pioneers was the LVMH group, owner of the Veuve Clicquot brand, one of the Champagnes found in 2010, which launched “The Cellar in the Sea” project. Soon, however, there was also a desire to see what would happen to other types of wine left to age in the ocean’s depths.
Scientific Research Confirmations
Today, the small group of experimental producers from a few years ago has expanded, reaching various coastal regions across the country, where underwater cellars are now being established in different marine areas. After several years of experimentation, the interesting results observed in tastings (which have also been reflected in significant market prices) have received their first scientific confirmation. This confirmation comes from recent research conducted by the Dagri (Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental, and Forestry Sciences) at the University of Florence, titled “Study of the Chemical and Sensory Evolution of Underwater Wines.”
The research aimed to determine whether aging wines in glass bottles underwater could influence their chemical and sensory composition. Led by Dr. Valentina Canuti (scientific director) along with Francesco Maioli, Monica Picchi, and Gabriele Colavolpe, the study examined samples of Albana Romagna Secco Docg, Bolgheri Rosato Doc, and Bolgheri Rosso Doc. These wines were aged for 6 months on the seabed (-52 meters, 12.8-14.2°C, 6.3 bar) and 6 months in the cellar, and were compared with the same wines aged for 12 months in the cellar.
Methodology
“The bottles used for underwater aging were equipped with a microchip for data and location tracking, sealed with a cork (one-piece cork for white wines, technical corks for rosé and red wines) and covered with a special capsule to isolate them from contact with seawater and regulate the internal pressure.” As detailed in the research published in L’Enologo (April 2023)—with contributions from Alessio Bandinelli and Emanuele Kottakhs of the Jamin company—chemical and sensory analyses were performed both at the time of emergence and after 6 months of controlled aging on land.
Results of the Study
At the time of emergence, after 6 months of marine aging, the wines were analyzed and compared with those aged on land. The data showed no significant differences in the composition of the wines preserved on the seabed versus those stored on land. Despite the pressure exerted by the water column on the bottles and particularly on the corks, the samples did not come into contact with seawater and therefore were not contaminated.
Analysis of Color and Polyphenolic Profile
The results of the polyphenolic profile and color analysis of the wines revealed that the three types of wine showed different evolutions based on the various treatments and sampling times. For example, the white wine did not show significant differences in color parameters at the time of emergence; however, additional aging in the bottle for another 6 months after emergence seemed to accentuate the differences between the wines, even though the color differences were not visually perceptible. “Regarding the rosé and red wines,” the researchers write, “an opposite trend was observed compared to the white wine, as significant differences were evident immediately at the time of emergence as a result of the underwater aging treatment.”
Analysis of the Aromatic Chemical Profile
The observation of the data revealed that the applied aging conditions produced different results in terms of aroma. “In the case of rosé wine, it appears that these processes were accelerated during the marine storage phase, only to slow down during the subsequent aging phase in the cellar, as evidenced by the pronounced differences between the samples analyzed at the time of emergence and after 6 months. In contrast, for white and red wines, the process seems to have followed an opposite trend, with differences only becoming evident after 6 months post-emergence.”
Conclusions
The study provided the first attempt to interpret data on the effects of underwater aging, offering fundamental scientific insights. The analysis revealed that underwater aging appears to affect the quality of the wine differently depending on the type of wine. For wines that require prolonged bottle aging to stabilize color, such as reds, underwater aging seems to have a positive effect due to the acceleration of reactions involving the color matrix, compared to the same wines aged under traditional conditions. For whites and rosés, however, the underwater treatment can produce varying effects depending on the characteristics of the wine being subjected to this maturation process, due to the same accelerated reactions. “The results,” the researchers conclude, “suggest that marine conditions have an effect on the final product’s quality and should therefore be managed within the winemaking process according to the type of wine and its potential for evolution.”
Beyond Research: Technique and Market
The growing interest from the wine industry in underwater aging, along with scientific validation of its differential effects compared to traditional cellar aging, has led to the development of specialized projects for this type of wine aging. Recent media reports have announced the arrival of the world’s first sweet wine aged underwater: a Sciacchetrà, a rare label from the Cinque Terre, which the Possa winery in Riomaggiore has begun experimenting with underwater. In Campania, 1,700 bottles of Asprinio Spumante Metodo Classico (from Cantine Bonaparte, Vitematta, Masseria Campito, and Asprinio de Angelis) will be submerged in the Bay of Bacoli, while another 1,700 will be aged in the traditional tufa caves of Doc Aversa, allowing for a comparison between the results obtained from the two techniques.
This field is becoming vibrant in Italy, with Jamin being the most established entity. Founded in 2015 by three entrepreneurs from the Portofino area, Jamin focuses on using the submerged environment to experiment with an innovative technique for preserving and evolving liquid food products. Recently, Jamin has renewed its commitment to underwater aging, aiming to certify its effects on wines that complete their evolution on the seabed adjacent to Italy’s coasts.
To address the growing trend in underwater-aged bottles—rising from 100,000 bottles in 2021 to 400,000 in 2022, and an estimated 750,000 bottles in 2023—Jamin has been working on developing technologies and tools for underwater aging, researching and improving the method to fully understand and further enhance the product’s quality
Internationally, notable activities are concentrated among about twenty producers in Spain, France, Portugal, Croatia, and Greece. The fundamental results from analytical studies have given a new dimension to the Jamin project. At the recent First International Underwater Wines Meeting, held at the Civic Aquarium of Milan, Antonio Palacios from the University of La Rioja in Spain and Gérard Liger-Belair from the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne confirmed that underwater aging can produce specific organoleptic and sensory changes compared to traditional aging, due to a combination of factors provided by the marine environment.
Jamin’s Experience: How Underwater Aging Works
The growth in underwater aging has also been driven by increased awareness of environmental sustainability in winemaking. The submerged environment, which is naturally refrigerated, has been identified as an ideal ally. This method eliminates the need for air conditioning and thermal insulation for land-based structures, resulting in significant energy savings. Especially in the Mediterranean basin, where temperatures at certain depths remain around 13-14°C, the conditions are almost constant. This method also reduces the need for large storage facilities, leading to savings in land use.
The Role of “Pressure”
The underwater aging method aims to produce specific changes compared to traditional methods, thanks to a combination of factors unique to the marine environment, such as harmonic currents, absence of light, and protection from UV rays, which are harmful to wine. Recent studies and comparisons between traditional and innovative aging methods have highlighted the crucial role of pressure as a strategic factor. The depth of immersion generates pressure on the cork from the outside towards the inside of the bottle. This condition is difficult to replicate on land and allows for a specific characterization unique to each type of product. Bottles are subjected to underwater aging only after being bottled, immersed under specific conditions, protected by capsules made of shellac, sealing wax, and resins, and placed in specialized containment baskets.
Costs
The cost of a single underwater aging operation is approximately €12,000 to €13,000. March and September are the most suitable months due to optimal sea conditions, although climate change and rising temperatures, which have extended the warm season, have occasionally forced adjustments to the aging schedule. Currently, over 200 different types of wines from wineries across Italy have been aged with the technical support of Jamin. For each wine, a specific study has been conducted, as each type of wine and product has its own unique characteristics that must be respected with “customized” procedures to best enhance its attributes “in the glass.”
Underwater Aging: An Interesting Tool When Used Correctly
——Andrea Moser’s Perspective
The renowned enologist and winemaker participated in a blind tasting that compared wines aged traditionally with those that underwent underwater aging.
In a notable voice within the national wine scene, Andrea Moser shared his insights during a blind tasting event where various types of underwater-aged wines were compared based on their aging methods. The goal was to highlight the potential of this new method and assess how concrete the results of the underwater wines project could be. Moser commented, “The tasting was very interesting and clearly demonstrated the potential of the new method, or at least allowed us to immediately perceive differences between bottles of the same wine through the palate and, especially, the nose. Collecting data is crucial for clearly certifying product evolution, so time becomes an indispensable ally and judge in this case. Real comparisons can only be made when wines are treated in the same way.”
He further noted, “This methodology has intriguing potential when used correctly. It is valuable, for example, in enhancing the natural saline notes of a wine, accentuating them through underwater aging.”
