Dates, events, facts

Italian winemaker stores wine under the sea

When Pierluigi Lugano ran out of space to keep the wine he produces, he came up with a novel idea – store it under the sea. He keeps the Abissi wine – the name means "the depths" or "the abyss" in Italian – in cages on the seabed at a depth of around 200ft, off the coast of the Italian Riviera.

He says the sea bed provides the perfect conditions for keeping the sparkling wine, which is produced from local grape varieties such as Vermentino and Bianchetta.

The temperature is perfect, there's no light, the water prevents even the slightest bit of air from getting in, and the constant pressure keeps the bubbles bubbly.

The wine is stored in non-rusting, stainless steel cages about two miles off the town of Chiavari, in the north-western region of Liguria. The first batch was lowered onto the seabed in 2009 and the unusual project has gone from strength to strength ever since. The wine, which has been acclaimed by critics for its "hints of baked apple and all-spice", is kept under the sea for three or four years.