May 27, 2015

How do you like your wines-youthful or with some age? Do you like your wines aged under ocean waters or aged in a wine cellar?

It has been found that aging bottles of wine under water affects the wines. There are some premature aging characteristics and other changes to the wines.

As of now aging above or below the water is no longer an option. After the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) consulted with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded that wines aged under ocean waters would be considered to be adulterated under the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). Therefore the TTB considers that wines adulterated under the FD&C Act are considered mislabeled within the meaning of the Federal Alcohol Administration Act.

The bottle seals having contact with the sea and ocean waters may cause the bottles to be adulterated since they have been stored in unsanitary conditions and have become contaminated.

It has been determined that for every 10 meters of depth the bottles are subject to one atmosphere of pressure. Tidal flows and storm surges increase the pressure against the bottle and allows the bottle to breathe . This breathing allows the bottle to equalize the internal pressure of the bottle with the external atmosphere. Breathing is the exchanging of the contents of the bottle with the water and therefore possibly contaminating the wine.

Also any sea life that attaches itself to the bottle and continues to live may degrade the cork and allow contamination of the wine. Wax seals have not been proven to be 100% efficient in sealing under these conditions.

Exciting aging process and illegal to sell and buy these wines in the United States.