The wineries Mas Vicenç, Pallarades, and Vinyes del Tiet Pere will study the wine extracted from a hundred amphorae that have been submerged in the sea at the port of Tarragona for 400 days.
50 containers of each of the native and most representative grape varieties of each winery were deposited: Malvasia, Macabeo, and Red Cartuxa, respectively. After tasting the first amphorae, the project leaders emphasized that this aging process “accelerates” more in the sea than in a static environment and that certain varieties “gain body”.
Some initial conclusions that they want to delve into through studies that allow to determine if submerged wine “has any organoleptic effect worth highlighting.”
The initiative was born in 2022, after several conversations with professionals in the area who carry out similar projects, such as S’Amfora in Cambrils (Baix Camp). Since then, these three wineries from Cabra del Camp (Alt Camp), El Catllar (Tarragonès), and Vilabella (Alt Camp) have come together as an association -Taula del Vi- and have started working to disseminate and promote wine culture in Tarragona.
Among the initial projects stands out the immersion of 150 ceramic amphorae with wine made from native varieties. On March 6, 2023, all of them were deposited 300 meters off the coast of the port of Tarragona, next to the shipwreck of ‘La Dragonera’.
Although the forecast was for them to be underwater for a period of six months, fishing bans and administrative obstacles have caused the amphorae to remain submerged for 200 days longer than planned.
For this reason, the representative of the Vinyes del Tiet Pere winery (Vilabella), Oriol Pérez, has pointed out that “this embryonic project requires the establishment of vinification and aging protocols,” such as the time they should be submerged underwater. In this sense, he emphasized that the wine has been submerged for 400 days, “longer than we thought, due to unforeseen circumstances.”
On the other hand, the representatives of the three wineries explained some of the initial conclusions they reached after tasting the wines. According to Pérez, the aging process seems to accelerate at sea compared to what is expected in a static cellar. He also added that the sensation with certain varieties is that they gain volume. These are two initial conclusions that they will now try to corroborate and expand through a study.
In fact, Pérez has stated that beyond confirming whether the marine movement accelerates the breeding process, what is of interest is to determine if it increases the volume. “This would be a change,” celebrated Pérez, who considers that “it could possibly be reproducible on dry land with the creation of moving machines.”
On the other hand, the representative of the Mas Vicenç winery (Cabra del Camp), Xavi Ferré, has added that the idea of submerging amphorae in the port of Tarragona has also emerged with the intention of “continuing to link” the culture of wine and the sea in the region. In fact, he has emphasized the “very present” influence of the sea on the winemaking production of Camp de Tarragona. “We were especially excited to see the evolution of these wines after 400 days submerged,” Ferré assured, expressing confidence in obtaining positive results.
Although, for now, it is not defined as a commercial project, the 150 amphorae “filled with maritime encrustations” will be available for purchase at a price of 100 euros each in each of the three wineries.
