shipwreck champagne

A 19th century shipwreck laden with champagne, wine, mineral water and porcelain in perfect condition has been discovered off the coast of the Swedish island of Öland in the Baltic Sea.

The wreck was found at a depth of 190 feet 20 nautical miles south of Öland in Swedish waters by the Baltictech Association, a group of technical divers dedicating to exploring Baltic Sea shipwrecks. The Baltictech crew had spotted the wreck on sonar, but it barely showed up on the scan, so they thought it was probably a small fishing vessel. Two of the divers decided to check it out just in case, and when that “quick dive” turned into them being gone for two hours, the crew realized it was a lot more than an old fishing boat.

It was a 19th century sailing ship, preserved in the dark, cold, currentless depth of the Baltic with wooden crates and baskets full of delicate glass wine bottles and stoneware mineral water bottles. The divers were able to count 100 bottles of champagne and another 100 of water, but that was just what was easily identifiable on the surface. There are likely many more than that nestled deeper into the wreck.

They recovered one of the water bottles which bears the stamp of the famous German mineral water brand Selters, the origin of the term seltzer water, which is still in production today. The style of the logo dates the water (and therefore the ship) to between 1850 and 1867. The pottery factory that made the stoneware bottlers for Selters is also still in existence, and their information may help narrow down the dates further.

At that time, Selters water was valued for its medicinal properties, not just as a refreshing beverage, so it was very expensive and like the champagne, was exported only to the wealthiest and most aristocratic tables. There is no clearly visible maker’s mark on the champagne bottles like there is on the watter bottles, but the letter R on the cork may be an important clue.

One of the lingering mysteries surrounding the shipwreck is the origin and intended destination of the champagne. [Polish diver and Baltictech team leader Tomasz] Stachura speculates that the bottles may contain Louis Roederer champagne, a brand that was highly favored in the Russian imperial court during the 19th century. Notably, in 1876, the Louis Roederer champagne house began producing a special cuvée, known as Cristal, specifically for Tsar Alexander II of Russia. Whether or not these bottles are indeed Louis Roederer champagne remains to be confirmed, but the possibility adds an intriguing layer to the discovery.

Despite the excitement surrounding the find, questions remain about the condition and drinkability of the champagne. The team is conducting further investigations in collaboration with the Institute of Maritime Archaeological Research at Södertörn University in Sweden, under the guidance of Professor Johan Rönnby. However, before any bottles can be recovered from the site, there are administrative hurdles to overcome. As Stachura pragmatically noted, “It has been there for 170 years, so it can wait another year while we prepare better for the operation.”

Here is Baltictech’s 3D model of the wreck site. It’s not high resolution enough to make out the details of the cargo, but you can see how remarkably intact the ship is.

* This article was originally published here