Coral Wine
A miraculous maturation that began with an "accident"
The story began with an unexpected turn of events: founder Marko Dušević was originally a seafood professional dealing in shrimp and mussels, and his fresh seafood became so popular that wineries all over Europe began to send him large amounts of wine as a token of appreciation.
As the land-based cellar filled up with the ever-increasing amount of wine, Marco came up with an idea: "Maybe we could store wine underwater at the same temperature as in the cellar?" As a test, he submerged some wine in the ocean, and when he pulled it up, it had a surprisingly mellow flavor. This marked the beginning of the world's first full-scale underwater aging project.
Pag Island, a hidden gem in the Adriatic
Coral Wine is based on the island of Pag in northern Croatia. This country, with a beautiful coastline of 1,777 km, has a wine-making history that dates back to the time of the ancient Greeks before Christ, spanning more than 2,500 years.
The outstanding quality of the water is particularly noteworthy. The sea around the island of Pag always maintains an "A" rating in regular government inspections, and is so pure that delicate mussels and oysters can grow there. It is this rich ecosystem that gives birth to the coral and shell art that decorates wine bottles.
Why the sea?
Aging underwater is not just romantic: the scientific conditions accelerate the evolution of the wine.
01. Stable water temperature
At a depth of 30m, the ocean naturally maintains a temperature of 8 to 12°C throughout the year, which is ideal for aging wine.
02. Evolution by Pressure
The high water pressure underwater helps integrate bubbles and tannins in the bottle, allowing full-bodied wines in particular to develop a smooth, silky taste more quickly than with normal aging on land.
Limited production of 15,000 bottles per year
To protect the environment, the use of machinery is kept to a minimum: everything is done by hand, from making the special cages to sealing the bottles with wax to protect them from saltwater.
Approximately every two weeks, divers descend into the ocean to check the state of aging. Due to this enormous amount of effort and risk, only 15,000 bottles are produced per year. This rare wine is truly a gift from the sea.
"Like us Croatians, the Japanese have a culture that travels between land and sea. I look forward to sharing with you this first attempt at aging wine in the Adriatic Sea."
MARKO DUŠEVIĆ — Founder
A special bottle for a special day.
Any coral or shells attached to the bottle will be delivered as is without being washed.
It is a one-of-a-kind piece of art painted by the sea, and would make a wonderful surprise as a gift.
