From the foothills of France’s most pristine wine regions to Australia’s thick soil that gives its Shiraz and Semillion grapes a bite, the testament of wine aging lurks questionable – and albeit controversial – methods in wine production.
Vivino, an app specialized for wine lovers, composed a list of a behind-the-scenes look at unconventional wine-aging methods:
Under the Sea
Fabled stories took place under the depth’s of the ocean, such as The Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo, but wine producers are assured that storing wine underwater couples the wine with complex notes of aroma and taste.
Mira Winery, a vineyard based in the infamous Napa Valley wine region in Northern California, tested the waters – literally – by submerging a 2009 edition of their Cabernet Sauvignon for three months in the Charleston Harbor.
Comparing their trial to an above ground version of the same red wine, a sample panel testified a positive smell and taste accompanying the sea-aged wine, which was dropped 60-feet below water and was aged in 50-55 degree temperatures.
The aftermath of aging wine below sea level costs $1,000 per bottle.
Electrocution
Xin An Zeng, a Chinese native, disembarked on an experiment to transfer electricity through wine. The voltage? Around 1,000. The temporary buzz administered to the wine is believed to – you guessed it – enhance the flavor and scent of the product.
By exposing a “really, really bad wine” to 1,000 volts for two minutes, the wine’s final product resembles the same effects as a wine aged for five years.
Mr. Bond, do you prefer your wine shaken or shocked?
Meteorites
Ian Hutcheon ventured to Chile with his two passions: astronomy and wine. When Hutcheon opened his first winery, an anonymous figure donated a meteorite that crashed into the Atacama Desert 6,000 years ago.
After deliberating what to do with an ancient chunk of space history, Hutcheon had a light bulb moment and, has since, added meteorite to his Cabernet barrels, which will absorb and diffuse its own properties into the wine for 25 days.
The output of the wine’s taste, Hutcheon agrees, presents the wine enthusiast the opportunity to taste the early history of the solar system and space’s particles.
Price: $11.50 per bottle
To read about conventional wisdom on aging wine, click HERE.
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