Our origins: Underwater Drinks Aging Laboratory

We started out as a research project

“[…] In a few years we will see if they become a treasure of the depths” Matías Prats, presenter of TV Spanish news, more than ten years ago, referring to the LSEB – Plentzia, Underwater Drinks Aging Laboratory.

As we told you, a few months ago in the post entitled “Which is the origin of the Underwater Winery?”, we were born more than 10 years ago as a research project, where by the hand of Antonio T. Palacios, our winemaker, we discovered that it was true that drinks, such as wine, champagne, cava or even beer, aged differently under the sea.

LSEB- Plentzia

The beginning of this journey was very controversial and at the same time very media. For the first time in history, a laboratory was created to investigate what was already in sense as a result of findings made in the sunken wrecks: wine and other spirits evolved differently at the bottom of the sea.

A very media project

Many media outlets, nationals and internationals, visited our fledgling facilities, at the birth of such a disruptive project in the world of wine. Many were sceptical, we ourselves did not know what results we would get and we also did not know that our adventure had only just begun.

The research process

During the research process we collaborated with wineries throughout the territory. We ourselves prepared the samples for immersion and immersed the bottles manually inside mesh bags, each properly identified. We investigated, not only how the wines evolved, but what types of bottles worked best, different types of corks and closures, different types of labels and screen-printing systems. We had a blank canvas and many factors to look at.

The dives and extractions were not easy, the lack of visibility often made it difficult to find the two research modules easily. In winter, we were often submerged and could not see an inch from our face, it was all darkness, so we had to feel around with our hands, as if we were in a dark room. For the study, for the analysis and tasting, it was necessary to meet exact extraction dates, regardless of the sea conditions. As you can imagine, sometimes the task was not easy. Little by little we improved our techniques and obtained results that made us more curious and opened up new fields of research.

Research carried out

We focus on research into the evolution of wine, both in bottle and barrel under the sea, but we also carry out other experiments, such as treasuring craft beer under the sea, in collaboration with a local producer.  We are also researching with cava, obtaining very interesting results, and we have also created some spirits.

In the end, we decided to focus on wine, without ruling out the possibility of recovering the knowledge acquired in other types of beverages any day now.

Some interesting results

As a result of the research, we obtained some interesting results, at the beginning, especially related to red wines, such as the conservation of their colour, as if it were a young wine.

We also observed that submerging a wine in the sea is not the same as submerging it in a lake or in a swamp. Their evolution has nothing to do with each other, here different factors such as tides, depth and storms have an influence. In the end, our wines do not stop moving at all times, they are the most biodynamic wines that can exist.

And finally, among other conclusions, we note that a conventional wine cannot simply be submerged and that not just any wine varietal or quality will do. Wines must be made in a specific way and with specific characteristics so that the underwater process is appropriate and the result lives up to expectations.

A decade has passed, we have learned a lot and we continue to learn day by day. To be honest, we are proud of what we have achieved, but we still have the same initial curiosity and the same desire to continue learning.   It all began as a research project and, as Matias Prats used to say, we have become a treasure of the deep.

Do you agree?