24 • URNER BARRY'S REPORTER / VOL. 19, NO. 1 / WINTER 2024
Underwater aging of wine is illegal in the
U.S. In fact, two California winemakers
were just convicted in August 2023 for
illegally depositing metal cages of wine on
the ocean floor off the Santa Barbara coast.
But it's not illegal in Australia!
Prior to the rebrand, Rare Foods Australia
conducted some successful ocean
cellaring trials in 2020 with their Ocean
Signature process. The Ocean Signature
Process involves the "placement of wine
in securely sealed glass bottles in crates
on the seabed for up to 12 months." The
name stems from the exterior of each
bottle developing a "one-of-a-kind external
Underwater wine, anyone? It's not just for mermaids!
Aging wine underwater has been trending
for quite a few years now. However, a
recent partnership between Rare Foods
Australia and a French company called
Winereef International has caught the
attention of both vino and seafood lovers.
Rare Foods Australia formerly did business
as Ocean Grown Abalone. Known as the
world's first commercial abalone ranch
and for producing Greenlip Abalone, the
company underwent a rebranding in 2021
in an effort to introduce new products
and grow the business. And one of those
businesses just so happens to involve
ocean cellaring.
Wine down under…literally…
One Australian company expands
from abalone to underwater wine
"...the company has 2,300 Ocean Signature
bottles harvested and ready for sale with a
price tag of $220 per bottle."
Photos provided by Rare Foods Australia