A new underwater winery is born in the Gulf of Naples: 4,000 bottles of wine aged under the sea

by Carlotta Sanviti

"On Monday, August 6th, four thousand bottles of wine disappeared into the depths of the Gulf of Naples, lowered to more than 40 metres below sea level." This is how Francesco Lerro, a Neapolitan entrepreneur, began to realise his dream of transforming the seabed into an underwater winery. This project brings the ageing of wine, oil, and vinegar to an unexpected environment: the sea. The idea of exploiting the unique environmental conditions of the ocean depths has already been tested over the years by other ventures worldwide, including in Italy.

Photo by 'Repubbllica'

In Italy, underwater ageing has been adopted in various contexts: Cantina di Riva on Lake Garda uses the lake's depths to age bottles of Trentodoc at 40 metres, while Gianluca Grilli experimented with Albana and Sangiovese at 35 metres in the area of the former Paguro platform. Since 2019, a producer of Roma Doc has been using the bottom of Lake Nemi, near Rome, for wine maturation, taking advantage of the constant temperature and darkness. Returning to the sea, experiments like those of Bisson in Chiavari, Liguria, demonstrate that underwater conditions influence the wine's evolution. However, concerns remain about the sustainability of this ageing practice: while it may reduce energy and land use, the transport and additional operations raise environmental concerns.

The installation near Castel dell’Ovo

"The first batch involved 4,000 bottles of wine. More will follow soon," Francesco Lerro, 40, a former restaurateur who started pursuing "this dream" three years ago, told Repubblica. He eventually established the company Megaride Cantine Sommerse. The location, one kilometre from the coast, was chosen after three years of studies and approvals, culminating in the concession of an underwater plain. "Initially, we wanted the seabed near the Campi Flegrei, but that was discouraged by archaeological restrictions and volcanic sand that remains warm up to twenty metres from the coast," Lerro explains. Finally, the plain in the Gulf of Naples, just a few hundred metres from Castel dell'Ovo—currently closed for restoration—proved to be more suitable for ageing.

Wine, oil, and vinegar under the sea

The first 4,000 bottles lowered into the sea are of an orange wine, already aged for a year in an amphora. "We also submerged a natural, unfiltered organic Aglianico from Irpinia," Lerro adds. The next goal is to submerge another 4,000 bottles, around September 30th, of a sparkling Falanghina. This immersion will also serve as a test to evaluate the effectiveness of the underwater ageing method: "If it goes well, we'll submerge more."

For October, the project plans to submerge 6,000 bottles of Tuscan oil and 30-year-old Modena balsamic vinegar. "A complete novelty," Lerro announces. Beyond the oenological aspect, the project aims to integrate with tourism. The entrepreneur is considering offering guided underwater tours of the submerged winery. "The choice of Naples' waterfront is strategic," concludes Lerro.