Dive into Croatia’s underwater winery

Croatia’s first underwater winery is now open for visitors — don your wetsuit and take the plunge to discover the submarine delights of Edivo Vina.

Situated in the town of Drače, around an hour north of Dubrovnik on the Pelješac peninsula, the Edivo Vina winery invites intrepid wine connoisseurs to (quite literally) dive into the winemaking process.

Edivo Vina’s method begins on land, where the wine is first aged for three months. Next, the wine makes its journey 18 — 25 metres below the surface of the Adriatic in an amphorae, a special clay vessel with two handles and a narrow neck, which reportedly lends the wine a pinewood aroma. The wine resides in its watery home for between one and two years, with corks and a double layer of rubber staving off any chance of leakage or contamination.

Why go to all this trouble? According to the team behind Edivo Vina, “the sea provides natural cooling in ideal conditions and the perfect silence underwater improves the quality”.

If this sounds appealing and you’re taking a casual dip in the area, don’t think you can call upon Edivo Vina for a free tipple — the amphorae are placed inside locked cages to put off any thirsty passersby.

For those who prefer to stay on dry land, the wine is available to purchase here.

Source: Condé Nast Traveler