Wine lovers will be happy to know that the first underwater winery in Croatia has just opened in Drače on the Pelješac Peninsula.

Travellers can join experienced divers to explore the hidden underwater world of the Edivo Vina winery, and can also see the old sunken boat that is located at the bottom of the Mali Ston Bay.

According to Lonely Planet, the winery is owned by Ivo and Anto Šegović and Edi Bajurin. After being aged for three months, their wines are stored in clay jugs known as amphorae under the sea for one – two years. It is believed that amphorae gives the wine a specific pinewood aroma, and the owners say that the wine doesn’t lose any of its quality, colour or aroma from this method.

credit: croatiaweek.com

The bottles are protected internally by a cork and two layers of rubber, and are arranged in cages and secured with padlocks to prevent theft. In addition to wine from amphorae, there are also wine bottles that are ‘aged’ in the Adriatic sea. The sunken boat is used as an underwater cellar and it keeps the amphorae for 700 days at a temperature of 15 to 17 degrees.

The idea came to the owners five years ago and they believe that the sea provides natural cooling in ideal conditions and the perfect silence underwater improves the quality.