800 bottles of wine aged underwater — The taste tests left experts speechless

As incredible as it may seem, 800 bottles of wine were retrieved from the ocean floor off the coast of Las Grutas after spending six months submerged at a depth of 10 meters in the Gulf of San Matías, Argentina.

This unusual initiative, involving around 20 wineries from Río Negro, is part of the ‘Programa de Cava Submarina’ (Underwater Cellar Program) promoted by the provincial government. It marks the conclusion of a pilot project that is now moving into a phase of technical analysis.

The constant movement of the water, stable temperatures, and filtered light beneath the surface are the key elements behind this experiment, which aims to determine whether the marine environment can truly provide a distinctive factor in the final product.

After the bottles were recovered, a blind technical tasting was conducted comparing the underwater-aged wines, including reds, whites, and sparkling varieties, with standard samples from the same batches that had been aged in traditional land-based cellars.

The conclusion was that differences do exist between the two processes, especially in younger wines, which showed more noticeable changes in their profiles.

A Process Never Before Seen in Latin America

However, those leading the project emphasize that these preliminary results must be confirmed through more in-depth laboratory studies. The next step will be to further investigate which specific factors influence the wine’s development during its time underwater, whether temperature, pressure, or the motion of the sea.

It is also worth noting that no preservation issues were detected during this initial trial. Wax sealing prevented any leakage and ensured that the contents remained in optimal condition, confirming the viability of this immersion technique.

This project is pioneering not only in Argentina but throughout Latin America, contributing valuable knowledge to the field of winemaking while also adding value to Patagonian production. Beyond its impact on the wine industry, the initiative enhances the region’s tourism appeal.

Some of the bottles will be available for tasting at the Punto Río Negro Festival. Meanwhile, project leaders are already planning more targeted aging strategies for future underwater immersions.

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