You Can Do An Underwater-Aged Dom Perignon Champagne Tasting in the Maldives

As a thousand mile-long atoll in the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, it’s no wonder that most of the Maldives’ most coveted experiences relate to the sea: over water villas, underwater resorts…and now, tastings of wine aged in what has been voted the world’s best underwater wine cellar and restaurant. 

 

Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas has launched a new underwater-aged wine tasting experience. Taking place 20 feet below the Indian Ocean’s surface in the resort’s incredible SEA restaurant, surrounded by near 360-degree views of the local marine life, this exclusive and private tasting sees guests sample Dom Perignon champagne that has been aged submerged in open water for 365 days.

 

Situated in the Maldives’Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the resort’s underwater SEA restaurant takes diners beneath the waves to the very edge of Anantara Kihavah’s famed house reef, where the glass curved walls offer panoramic views of tropical marine life, including turtles, manta rays and clown fish. 

 

 

In 2020, Anantara Kihavah’s wine experts started an experiment of submerging bottles of Dom Perignon 2008 vintage champagne below the ocean’s surface to age for a full year. After the sunken bottles were retrieved, the champagnes noticeably gained distinct flavour notes such as seaweed, minerals, and salinity in its taste, perfectly complementing the classic components of Dom Perignon’s citrus, brioche, and nutty characters.

 

It might be the most memorable experience you can have in one of the world's most luxe, romantic, remote and legendary tropical eco paradise destinations.