Antonio T. Palacios, Winemaking Director at Bodega Crusoe Treasure, was on one of his routine visits to the underwater winery when he happened to coincide with one of our wine-tourismexperiences. This does not happen often, but on this occasion those attending the visit were able to enjoy Antonio’s knowledge first-hand, in a relaxed and informal setting, while enjoying the wine, the sea and the incredible Bay of Plentzia.
It is always a pleasure to hear Antonio speak, so for those of you who could not be there, we would like to share his visit with you.
Antonio shared his experiences and anecdotes: “At first you say—this is pure marketing—but no, there is much more to it, there is a connection between the sea and the wine”.
“The first time I came, I was quite sceptical. A year earlier, a journalist had called me for an interview. He said: we have someone on the other end of the phone who makes underwater wines, and we want a winemaker to explain what happens. I said that if the glass was completely impermeable and the bottle properly sealed, nothing should happen. Anyway…I got it wrong.
A year later, I discovered the project and met Borja. Through chemical analyses, you realise that red wine beneath the sea is much more violet in colour and retains its youthfulness. But why? Because of gaseous exchanges. This evidently accelerates what we call copigmentation. It is a polymerisation of the coloured compounds, making them more stable. In the end, you can see it analytically, and you can also taste it.
Duet is a product comprising the same wine aged on land and treasured on the seabed. You can experience it for yourself during a tasting. Which do you prefer, “the land-aged one”? That is perfectly fine. It may happen, of course, but you will probably like the underwater one much more. What will convince you is that the wines are different. That is certain.”
What do we achieve by ageing wine beneath the sea?
Looking back at past interviews with Antonio, we can quote him as saying: “We achieve rounded, smooth, approachable wines that are highly expressive in both aroma and flavour.”
When ageing wine, we take an approach that is almost “anti-oenology”. We transmit all the energy of the sea—the current, the waves, the tides, the effect of the moon… all of this undoubtedly has such force that it must be transmitted into the bottle, and what we achieve as a result is a very still, very smooth wine that is rich on the palate
If you are curious and have not yet tasted our wines… what are you waiting for?