Thanks to Wine Of The Sea for inviting me to review one of their wines. They provided me with a bottle of free wine in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
I love to travel. It’s fun to learn about the history, culture, and food of places stateside and abroad. Being introduced to new wine regions and grapes is also something I enjoy doing. My summer wine education was in the Balkans. It's where I was introduced to wines that were previously unavailable in the U.S. Florida finally has access to wines aged under the sea. They would make great gifts for anyone in Southwest Florida who loves food, wine, and art.
Wines aged under the sea
Submerging bottles of wine in the Adriatic Sea is done by several produces in countries such as Montenegro, Croatia and Serbia. I tried some while visiting and found the whole process so intriguing. When I returned to Fort Myers, I began looking for ocean-aged wines. However, the FDA had consistently said no to importers over concern of saltwater contamination. However, that recently changed. Now we can get Wine of the Sea from BZ Consortium out of Wisconsin.
Why aged under the sea
The wines are submerged about 100 feet in the Adriatic Sea after then are bottled. The amount of time spent under the sea depends on the varietal. However, it is typically one to two years. The water becomes mother nature's cellar. Temperatures remain consistent and cool while the light is low. Winemakers say the pressure of the sea also accelerates and intensifies the aging process. In addition to the technical aspects, the bottles become encrusted with beautiful shells and coral. They are like pieces of art.
The rotation of the varietals vary, but typically range from 13-16 different wines from around Europe. I tried two. Neither were as robust as I expected but both were good with food. Here they are for Wine Wednesday.
Both of these wines needed to breathe for at least an hour, in my opinion. I did not decant them but might in the future. They were really interesting to discover. I'd like to try one of the whites next. These are make great holiday gifts for the wine geek or someone who has everything.
