Hurtigruten uses seabed as wine cellar

#NordicNews on experiences and Norway

Shipping company Hurtigruten sinks sparkling wine bottles to the Arctic seabed

For its 130th birthday, the Hurtigruten shipping company has come up with something very special. This summer, passengers can enjoy sparkling wine that has been aged on the seabed in Arctic waters for six months.

The wax-sealed bottles from the Rathfinny Wine Estate in Essex, Great Britain, were stored on the seabed at latitude 66. The approximately 1,700 bottles were lifted at the beginning of May and tasted by Nikolai Haram Svorte, Norway's best sommelier.

Storing the bottles in colder waters at an average temperature of 5 degrees Celsius with no light and increased pressure are the ideal conditions for sparkling wine. According to Nikolai Haram Svorte, the project was a success. The sparkling wine has retained its freshness and is noticeably alive. In the coming months, the "Havets Bobler" bottles will be served on the entire Hurtigruten fleet along the coast as part of the Norwegian Coastal Kitchen dining experiences.

And the storage of sparkling wine on the seabed is set to continue. Hurtigruten is already planning to sink more bottles over a much longer period.

More on Hurtigruten.

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