Akènta Sub: Sardinia's excellent underwater sparkling wine

In today's article-interview, we talk another look at underwater wines - wines that are aged under water. We return to discuss this important and very interesting topic, which is currently very trendy on the Italian wine scene, with the Santa Maria La Palma wine cellar based in Alghero. We interviewed Simone Bussu, CEO, and Gaetano La Spina, the winery's oenologist. They told us about the project from its genesis through to the successful final result. Everything you ever wanted to know about underwater refinement - but never dared ask - can be found right here! Happy reading. Let's get going by asking you a classic yet inevitable question: how did the idea of Akènta come about? Akènta came into being from the desire to create a Sardinian sparkling wine of excellence, capable of becoming a true symbol of wine production on our island. It is a Vermentino di Sardegna DOC Extradry, made with grapes grown in the terroir of the Porto Conte Park, an unspoiled oasis facing the sea. The "traditional" version aged in the cellar is now joined by Akènta Sub: Akènta - the famous Sardinian sparkling wine aged underwater. Every year, we select a limited number of Akènta bottles and take them down to a depth of about 40 metres, where refinement and unique evolution into Akènta Sub take place. The inspiration for this project came from the discovery - in 2010 or thereabouts - of a ship that sank in the Baltic Sea in the mid-19th century, with hundreds of bottles of Champagne in the hold. This wine - after more than 150 years - was superbly preserved. So we asked ourselves: why not investigate underwater refinement, managed as if the sea were our wine cellar? This was how the idea of Akènta Sub came about, in collaboration with the Porto Conte Park and the Blue Service diving team. Can you explain to us what happens on the seabed during ageing? The seabed offers optimal ageing conditions: there is no light or oxygen and the water temperature is constant. Parameters such as these mean that the wine matures very slowly and develops by acquiring even more sensory complexity. Are any particular methods used to keep sparkling wine when aged underwater? The sparkling wine aged on the seabed in stainless steel cages, a special material designed to function in these particular conditions; in addition, a diver goes down every 20 days to check the status of the cage and monitor the appearance of any rust so that action can be taken. The diver also checks the amount deposits accumulating on the surface of the bottles, decorating and embellishing them almost like a craftsman. Each bottle becomes an artefact of extraordinary and unique design conceived by nature: no two bottles of Akènta Sub will ever be the same. After about 8 months, the cage is hooked up to balloons, which are then inflated until it is brought back to the surface. At this stage. a helicopter picks up the cage from the surface the sea and takes it back to the cellar, where the wine is prepared for sale. What role does cork play in micro-oxygenation during underwater ageing? Very little oxygen passes through the cork, while the capsules on all the bottles are also coated with a special sealing wax to preserve them well. The role of the cork is marginal, since there is little oxygen in the water. Can you give us a brief sensory description of this particular product for people who haven't tasted it yet? Akènta Sub is a very elegant and delicious sparkling wine: thanks to underwater ageing, it acquires creaminess, length, persistence and a fine, delicate sparkle, retaining all the flavour and salinity typical of the traditional version. In the mouth, you really can feel the link with the sea. It is undoubtedly an impressive wine that has won so many admirers; among others, it convinced Joe Bastianich, who dedicated an episode of his special podcast to this bottle. What was the first international market to open a bottle of Akènta Sub? The first overseas country to uncork a bottle of Akènta Sub was the United States: we are already active on this market and we held the toast with Akènta Sub in the USA. What is Akènta Day? Akènta Day is the day when Akènta Sub is brought back to firm land: we've organised a party in July every year since 2016 to celebrate the ascent of our underwater cellars. We are the first wine cellar to offer wine lovers and the merely curious the chance to see how an underwater cellar returns to the surface. It is a truly exceptional event. Everyone interested in the event can book a cruise on one of the boats we manage and take part in a unique spectacle: seeing close up how the diving team that manages the underwater cellar operates and watch the work of the helicopter that lifts the cages to take them back to our premises. Once the cage has been brought back to the surface, it is time for entertainment, raising our glasses and enjoying boat parties in the splendid sea around Alghero. This is a hugely spectacular event that excites everyone who takes part. The 2022 edition attracted more than 500 people on the official boats, joined by 100 other boats of onlookers. In just a few years, Akènta Day has established itself as a marvellous event that attracts people from all over the world: a vehicle promoting Alghero and Sardinia as a whole, and a unique moment for all wine lovers. To find out more about the Akènta Day event, visit the website www.akentaday.it/