PICHIDANGUI, COQUIMBO REGION, CHILE — In cages installed on the seabed around the small Locos Island in northern Chile, divers store bottles of wine as part of a pioneering underwater-aging program promoted by entrepreneurs linked to a local diving center.
A constant year-round temperature (51.8 degrees – 53.6 degrees Fahrenheit), negative pressure and reduced light create the “cellar effect” that wineries typically achieve in galleries built underground.
The bottles, submerged at depths of between 32 and 65 feet for eight months to a year, have calcareous sediments attached to them, typical of the Pacific Ocean coastline in the Coquimbo region.
White and cool-climate varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir respond better to underwater aging, although the method can be applied to other varieties.
Although preserving and maturing wines in water has been known for decades, the project is novel in Chile, widely known for its wine industry and for having more than 2,500 miles of Pacific coastline.
The project’s partners also believe the experience could become a tourist attraction for those visiting the nearby beach at Pichidangui.
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