3 minute read
Of Interest
By Elisabeth Abrahamson
Back in 2010, a 200-year-old shipwreck was discovered in the Baltic Sea containing hundreds of bottles of Veuve Clicquot. The Champagne was flat, but the bottles had turned into a masterpiece, covered in coral, seashells and barnacles.
The bottles were sold at auctions, fetching bids upwards of $43,000. Diver and oenophile Emanuele Azzaretto tried to acquire a bottle, but unfortunately, he wasn’t successful. Five years later, Emanuele decided to recreate the bottles and develop the wine aging process on his own. And that is how Ocean Fathoms was born. Ocean Fathoms is made up of a team of four individuals who each bring their expertise to the table, from winemaking
to PR. Emanuele developed the wine aging patent process; Jordane Andrieu runs his family’s winery in Burgundy and owns a French restaurant and bar in Beverly Hills called Héritage Fine Wines; Rajat Parr is a two-time James Beard Award winner and master winemaker; and Todd Hahn is a former sports and entertainment agent. Ocean Fathoms ages wine in the ocean because it has the “perfect environment to do so,” Todd says. The ocean has a consistent temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit, no UV light pollution, no oxygen, no sound, and the current slowly turns the wine in the bottles. The team likes to age their bottles in the Santa Barbara Channel because it sits in a rich sealife transition zone, where cold arctic waters meet warmer waters from the equator. Here, you can find more than 100 species of flora and fauna unique to the location that attract plenty of sea creatures and sea life. These ultimately adorn the bottles and give them their rare, collector’s item look.
What’s even better? The ocean aging process is 100 percent eco-friendly, Todd says. Ocean Fathoms’ wine cages work together with the perfect marine environment, which discharges a naturally produced electrical current and ionizes the wine.
After aging 12 months at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, the whites are brighter, more fruitful and fresh, while the reds seem to become more vibrant and taste like a much older vintage,” he says. We are revolutionizing the wine aging process. We are creating a new category in the wine industry of ocean-aged wine.” Todd explains that when people see their bottles, they are immediately engaged and want to hear about how the wine is made. Then they taste the wine and are pleasantly surprised at how delicious it is. “They can’t believe the wine is much younger than their taste buds are telling them,” he says. In fact, no two bottles are alike.
He acknowledges that without the ocean as their cellar, they would be just another wine brand trying to position themselves in a crowded market. “The uniqueness of our bottles, our aging process and the incredible results give Ocean Fathoms a very real competitive advantage,” he says. “The distinctness
of each bottle attracts attention, the story around it engages buyers, and the quality of the wine drives our clients’ … desire to acquire more and more of our wine.”
And in case you weren’t already sold, Ocean Fathoms gives back to ocean-centric organizations. The team currently partners with the Channel Islands Marine and Wildlife Institute (CIMWI). “CIMWI rescues, rehabilitates and releases the ocean mammals back to their home” Todd says. “CIMWI also conducts important research and educates the public on the plight of marine mammals and the impact people have on the environment to promote positive change. For every dollar that comes in, Ocean Fathoms donates 1 percent back to CIMWI.” So, what to buy from Ocean Fathoms? Since the weather is still warm, Todd suggests a white, specifically the 2015 Ocean Fathoms 4 White Blend from California’s Central Coast, to pair with fresh oysters.
