Text written in Basque and translated automatically by Elia without any subsequent editing. SEE ORIGINAL

The underwater wine

Report about the Laboratorio Submarine de Crianza de Bebidas, located in the bay of Plencia.

In the bay of Plencia, at the bottom of the sea, 15 meters from the surface, there is a picturesque winery. It's the Underwater Beverage Curing Lab. When divers approach these modules they find more than just an artificial structure: the surrounding fauna has sought refuge in this corner.

BORJA SARACHO; Bajoelagua Factory: It has a similar effect to shipwrecks. It is known that such structures, at least to the extent that they are completely clean, contribute to the marine environment and protect living beings. It has provided protection to several native species, located between the mouth of the river and the entrance to the sea, which have protected themselves in these structures and created a new population.

This is an environment almost entirely exploited by fishing. And even though it is under the protection of the bay, when the storm boasts the sea, there is no atmosphere at the bottom either. For this reason, it is essential that the modules are well anchored to the bottom.

BORJA SARACHO; Bajoelagua Factory: When a storm strikes, the sea moves stones up to 15 meters away. That was a big challenge. But it had to be done at this depth because of the biological approach. And also for its ease of work: the diver works more easily at 15 meters than at 30. It's more secure. On the other hand, the depth of the bay is not great. A study of the hydrodynamics of the recognition of marine currents was carried out by experts from the University of Cantabria who decided that this point was the most appropriate.

In this module, several correctly identified beverage bottles are stored. Txakoli, cider, white wine and red wine, both young and ripened in the barrel: ripened and reserve wine. In total, drinks from 14 brands of origin, from 33 wineries.

However, this attempt at seasoning beverages under the sea is not unique in the world. Some wineries take advantage of lakes and seabed to season their drinks, but this project offers something more: the scientific procedure.

To track the evolution of the drink in underwater curing, a series of bottle samples are taken every three months, and their tastings and laboratory analyses are performed. First of all, they are tasted by experts from the wineries and creative brands that participate in the project. In this tasting, they compare the wine cured under water with the one cured on land, in the traditional winery, observing its organoleptic characteristics.

Other bottle samples go to Vitoria-Gasteiz, two laboratories of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), one with sensory analysis and the other with analysis of the compounds that characterize the drink.

IÑAKI ETAIO; EHU: Depending on the wine, some specific characteristics are observed. But in all cases, we look at the smell, aroma, taste and other oral sensations, which are called trigeminal sensations. There is a nerve called the trigeminal nerve, which receives other sensations. For example, alcoholic or burning sensation when the mouth heats up; astringency and such sensations. And then the traditional flavors: bitterness, acidity and, in some cases, sweetness. And then, on the other hand, visual characteristics such as hue, color intensity are also measured.

We use these black cups to not condition the perception, the perception of smell and taste. Experts have a career in this world and when they see the appearance of the wine they know more or less what the wine will be characterized by.

In this other laboratory, one floor above, the analytical chemistry team uses chromatographic techniques, mass spectrometry and the like, to search for compounds that characterize the wine, so that they can compare the composition of the wine seasoned in the sea with that seasoned in the cellar.

RAMON BARRIO; UPV/EHU:We say that wine is, in fact, a living matter: even from the moment the bottle is closed with cork, it is not stable, the chemical reactions continue.

In this project, we will analyze certain chemical compounds related to enzymatic reactions. These reactions are influenced by the conditions of the place where the wine is stored. If the wine is stored under conditions of immobility, pressure and unconventional temperature, such as at the seabed, a different product can be produced.

A total of 68 compounds will be tested in this laboratory. In terms of composition, glycerol and sugars, fructose and glucose are preferred. Various volatile compounds such as alcohols, polyphenols, biogenic amines, amino acids, etc. are present at a lower concentration. All of them will be observed with the most sophisticated laboratory equipment.

The senses of enologists are also capable of a refined study. And for the second tasting test they have detected peculiarities in beverages that have evolved under the sea. This means that different compounds have appeared, or that some of the compounds have different concentrations. This, of course, will show up in the lab tests.

Next, you will need to see what organoleptic qualities these compounds have shown in txakoli, wine and cider give to each drink.

IÑAKI ETAIO; EHU: It is best to investigate a longer development, but it will not be possible. In any case, this research is provisional in order to gather some results and, above all, to predict the effect that the presence of wine underwater may have. The idea is to continue with some of these studies in the future.

BORJA SARACHO; Bajoelagua Factory: It's a little early. The wine industry has been around for centuries and we only have six months. This is equivalent to opening a window in a world that has been closed for thousands of years. So let’s see what this project looks like, at least for now it looks like it’s going to have a bright future.

Through the Submarine Laboratory for the Aging of Beverages in Plencia, the wineries will be able to offer a wine with added value, a special wine with a curious history.

IÑAKI MURILLO; Bodega Murillo Viteri: We must remember the core: wine is first and foremost a pleasure. Wine is a pleasure. So far, we’ve seen wine evolve on land, and now we’ve introduced a new approach. We are now in charge of the R&D of the marine environment.

TXEMA GARCÍA; oenologist: It’s positive, no doubt, because the product is completely different. After all, these products are made to be enjoyed, and being different is positive. We will see how the wines and ciders evolve.

The investigation will last for a full year and will be completed in October. By then they will have the results of all tastings and analyses in their hands and will make their conclusions known.