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Grain de Sail
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The Burgundy wine house Albert Bichot *** is researching the influence of the sea on the maturation of wine in barrels. For this purpose, two barrels of its 2024 Bourgogne Côte d’Or Chardonnay "Secret de Famille" were loaded aboard the cargo ship "Grain de Sail II". The predominantly wind-powered ship will cross the Atlantic in both directions and return to France in March. During this time, the barrels are exposed to temperature fluctuations, salty air, and wave movement. They are equipped with sensors that measure temperature, humidity, dissolved gases, and volatile compounds.

After the ship's return, the wines will be compared in a tasting with those from identical barrels that matured in Albert Bichot's cellar in Beaune. A sensory analysis will show whether the sea imparts salty or mineral notes to the wine.

Experiments investigating the influence of the sea on wine – referred to as "Merroir" in reference to the term Terroir – are not new. As early as the 18th and 19th centuries, it was observed that Bordeaux wines transported by ship to India or the Caribbean often tasted different from those that remained in France. This led to the designation "Vin de Voyage". Some merchants claimed that the long transport gave the wines a special maturation, particularly due to constant movement and temperature fluctuations.

One of the first documented ventures in this regard was the circumnavigation of the Austrian frigate Novara from 1857 to 1859. It carried wines from Vienna, Styria, and Hungary. These were compared upon return with identical wines that had matured in Austria under normal conditions. The results provided early indications that transport at sea can indeed contribute to the positive flavor development of a wine. In the 2010s, the Italian winery Tenute del Cerro **** stored barrels of Sangiovese on a sailing ship. Sensory analyses showed subtle differences compared to wines that matured on land. In spring 2021, some of twelve bottles of Château Pétrus 2000 were tasted, which had spent 14 months in microgravity on the ISS. They showed only barely perceptible changes.

(al / Source: drinksbusiness; own research)

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