Did you know that the Baltic Sea is classified as one of Veuve Clicquot’s cellars? In 2010, an unprecedented discovery of several bottles of Champagne, that were almost 200 years old, were found in a shipwreck off the Åland Islands, in the Baltic Sea. To the surprise of the divers the contents of the bottles were perfectly preserved, which is what inspired everyone’s favourite Champagne house, Veuve Clicquot, to launch its Cellar in the Sea program. 

As part of this 40-year-long experiment Veuve Clicquot has submerged a batch of bottled bubbles 40 metres below the water’s surface to see if this natural cellar is an effective way of storing Champagne. The lack of light and low temperature – the water temperature remains at 4 degrees Celsius throughout the year – make for superb storage conditions.

The Champagne house also stored a batch of the same Champagne in Maison Clicquot’s cellar, the Crayères, which are former chalk quarries, beneath the city of Reims. Veuve Clicquot intends to retrieve the bottles at regular intervals to compare the taste between the submerged bottles and cellar bottles. 

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To celebrate the first taste, Veuve Clicquot is inviting Champagne lovers to join them on a voyage from Reims to the Baltic Sea on the inaugural Solaire Voyage. The experience will begin in Champagne with a garden lunch among the vine and continue in the Crayères, followed by a gala dinner at Hôtel du Marc, the private residence of Veuve Clicquot. 

You will then travel by air to board a sailing ship which will take you to the remote island of Silverskår, where you will stay for two nights in the midst of the Midsummer celebrations. During your voyage you will taste some of the House’s rarest vintages paired with traditional dishes prepared by some of the finest starred chefs in the region. 

And for the piece de resistance, guests will also be invited to meet the driver who discovered the wreck in 2010. If you’re an experienced diver you will also be able to descend with him into the depths to see the incredible Åland Vault, where the precious bottles are submerged.

So, if you fancy sailing the Baltic Sea while sipping some of the world’s finest bubbles, this is for you. 

The voyage will take place between June 22 and 25, 2023. Places are limited to 14 double rooms. Booking available on veuveclicquot.com/en-int/cellar-in-the-sea-experience 

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