Flavour of the sea; Croatia´s unique underwater wine production

While France and Spain are reigning over the fine wine industry, a small town in Croatia became a pioneer in underwater wine production, discovering a hidden gem in unique flavours.

How Croatia´s underwater wine production was discovered

10 years ago, in a charming bay-side town of Ika, Croatia, a group of residents made an unprecedented discovery during routine maritime cleaning, finding a large plateau about 20 metres deep near a freshwater source. Having heard about the production of under-sea aged champagne, sparked by an accidental discovery in Finland, the residents had the idea to store local wines under the water.

After placing the first few 100 bottles under the sea, Croatia´s residents spent a year anticipating the results. When retrieving the first batch, the residents came upon a unique wine aroma which inspired them to continue the delicate storing process. Today, the state-of-the-art method is a well-established tradition among Croatian winemakers.

“Wine in the sea changed completely for the better,” revealed Josip Voric, a winemaker from Buje. “The sea stabilises it and prolongs its life. It gives the wine its unique character, allowing it to age for years while remaining consistently good.” On August 3, this year, more than 4,500 bottles were retrieved from the Croatian sea and 5,000 new ones were submerged to be tasted next summer.

The flavour of the sea; what´s unique about the Croatian wine

“The combination of fresh water and seawater imparts a special uniqueness to the wine…The blending of these waters creates a distinct influence on the wine aged in the spring,” said Kresimir Mikinac, the head of education at the Croatian Sommelier Club. Although he doesn´t own any of the wines, he annually samples the products, sharing that the results are impressive and exciting.

“In comparison to other wines aged in water, specifically those aged in the sea, here in Ika, we have a source of drinking water that creates a unique microenvironment affecting the wine.” The bottles are priced depending on the producer, with the most expensive wine reaching up to  €300 per bottle and sold worldwide.

The Coral Wine project is the first and only underwater wine cellar specialising in ageing wines under the sea, which produces about 15,000 bottles per year. “The underwater wine-maturing conditions of the sea soften the tannins and acidity while preserving the authentic aromatic profile of each wine,” emphasised the company. Considering the untraditional approach, the Croatian government oversees the process weekly to ensure environmentally friendly production and sustainable harvesting.

Following Croatia´s footsteps, Spain, Australia, Argentina and Portugal are also experimenting with the sea flavours, creating unmatched flavours which are impossible to mimic.