A Toyko-based PR firm has begun a seafloor wine ageing project in the hopes that it will revive the local economy in the Kagoshima Prefecture of Japan. The underwater ageing, called the tlass sea cellar, has seen bottles placed on the seabed off Amami-Oshima Island. Around 500 bottles of European wine have been placed into stainless steel cages to a depth of 20 metres last month. Last year, the firm opened a restaurant in a nearby town to sell wine as well. Bottles will remain in the sea until June and then be served to customers from July, although some will be aged for longer to discover the right level of maturation. Last November, Kenichi Otsuka MW, who is also IWC Sake co-chairman, assisted in a survey on the wine quality of a trial of the underwater wine, with suggestions for upgrading the process. View this post on Instagram
The company also plans to provide an underwater aging service in the future. Although the practice of underwater ageing is popular around the world, with the cool conditions, higher pressure and relatively low light providing good opportunities for maturation, the concept is yet to take off in Japan. Yuri Moritani, who is president of III Three
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Wine
