Wines from Quinta do Canhoto and Adega do Cantor are ageing beneath the waters of Albufeira Marina as part of a pioneering Algarve project combining winemaking and tourism innovation.
Several bottles briefly resurfaced on 24th April after more than a year underwater, allowing specialists to collect samples for technical tasting. A submerged barrel was also temporarily recovered for inspection.
The experiment aims to understand how marine conditions, such as constant pressure, stable temperatures, and total darkness, can influence wine maturation compared with traditional cellar ageing.
Since March 2025, nearly 3,000 bottles have been submerged in the marina. Quinta do Canhoto is testing a 2023 Alicante Bouschet across multiple ageing methods, including bottles and a 225-litre French oak barrel placed on the seabed, believed by organisers to be a world first.
Early tastings suggest noticeable differences. According to winemaker Jorge Páscoa, the submerged wines appear to be evolving slightly faster, but with greater elegance and softer tannins.
The project is supported by Albufeira Municipality and monitored technically by Adega do Mar, a Sines-based company that has overseen tens of thousands of underwater-aged bottles since 2013. Marine organisms such as oysters and barnacles attach naturally to the glass, making each bottle visually unique.
Adega do Cantor currently has around 600 bottles underwater, including sparkling and red wines selected at an early stage of development.
Beyond experimentation, organisers see strong tourism potential. Producers are preparing premium tastings later this year, and future plans may allow visitors to dive and retrieve their own bottles, an experience not yet available in the region.
The ideal moment to bring the wines ashore remains under evaluation, with regular tastings scheduled every three months. Further trials using new blends are already planned, suggesting the Algarve’s underwater wine project is only just beginning.
Photo Credit: Maria Simiris
