Can You Really Age Wine Under Water?

In the world of wine, it's often tough to separate the fad from the trend or the novel from the avant-guarde. Take for example organic and/or natural wine. Yes, there remains a certain degree of controversy as to what these terms actually mean, but the wines themselves have moved from the backwaters 20 years ago, to the fringes of the wine world 10 years ago, and today occupy a vital part of the core of industry. There are wineries that use the natural/organic mantle as a marketing ploy of course, and some witless wine writers who continue to question whether natural/organic is here to stay or just a fad; please join us in the 21st century.

Now if you want a fad, might I suggest the increasingly popular experiment of aging wine under water. It seems the sea is preferable, but any deep enough body of water should do. Now I get the idea here, water tends to remain at a relatively constant temperature with changes that are very slow, so given the right temperatures it is an ideal environment for aging wine, but is it really any better than aging wine in a proper cellar? Some producers say yes, I am dubious to say the least, particularly in light of the numerous press releases each of these wines seems to generate. Fad, marketing ploy, or something more serious? Let's take a look at some of the producers aging wine under water and make up our own minds!

Click here to find the wineries producing water-aged wines.

— Gregory Dal Piaz, Snooth