Ancient Art of Winemaking: 168 Bottles of Champagnes Were Discovered In 175-year-old Shipwreck

Deep divers have discovered 168 bottles of champagnes in a 175-year-old shipwreck in the Baltic Sea. Researchers have been testing these bottles to determine the chemical components and compare them to modern wines in terms of tastes and value.

"We were thinking the chemical composition of this wine would be very different from the composition of wines today," said Philippe Jeandet​, a professor at the University of Reims​ Champagne-Ardenne in France. "But that was wrong. We have found that the wines were very similar."

The conditions in which the champagne was found - in near darkness at a constant temperature of 2-4°C - probably helped to preserve its aromas and taste, Jeandet added.

The bottles were found in 2010 and some of them were sold at auction in 2011 for tens of thousands of euros, BBC reported.

The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.