Egiategia in Ciboure, France
Just off the coast of Saint Jean De Luz, near the breakwater that protects the bay from Atlantic swells, floats a cheerful yellow buoy unnoticed by most tourists and beach-goers at the popular resort town across the harbor. It's easy to miss, but it's the only above-water sign of something remarkable on the ocean floor about 15 meters below. Egiategia (the name is a Basque play on words that…
In the coastal town of Ciboure, France, a unique winery named Egiategia has been creating wine underwater since 2012. This innovative process takes place 15 meters below the surface, near the breakwater of Saint Jean De Luz. The winery's distinctive yellow buoy, easily overlooked by most visitors, marks the resting spot of their submerged vats.
Egiategia sources grapes from nearby vineyards, fills their specialized containers, and drops them at the designated buoy. Underwater divers then secure the containers to anchors placed on the sea floor. The wine ferments in these vats for six months to a year, continuously agitated by the ocean's waves.
The unique environmental conditions inside the vats, including the presence of microscopic pores that allow carbon dioxide to escape while preventing salty water intrusion, contribute to the distinct character of the wine. The process allows for the creation of hybrid wines that blend land and sea influences.
While the wine must undergo traditional fermentation and aging, which cannot be performed underwater, the tasting room and cellar are housed in a 17th-century building used for cement manufacturing. Here, they craft the wine and conduct tastings. The winemakers believe the sea plays an active role in the vinification process, resulting in a truly distinctive product.
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