A team of Polish divers, BaltiTech, has made a remarkable discovery: a 19th-century cache of champagne and wine in a shipwreck at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. This significant find was made during a recent dive off the coast of Sweden.
Detection and exploration
The divers initially detected what seemed to be an old fishing boat on their sonar, about 20 nautical miles south of the Aland Islands, located between Sweden and Finland. According to a post on their website, the group was uncertain if anyone would be willing to investigate the find. Despite these doubts, two brave divers decided to take the plunge. “When they failed to return after two hours, the remaining team members suspected that ‘there was something very interesting on the bottom,'” the post read.
Uncovering the treasure
The suspicion proved correct. The divers descended and discovered a 19th-century sailing ship in excellent condition, “loaded to the sides with champagne, wine, mineral water, and porcelain.” The team noted, “There was so much of it that it was difficult for us to judge the quantities.” Tomasz Stachura, the team’s leader, shared his astonishment with BBC News, saying, “I’ve been a diver for 40 years. From time to time, you see one or two bottles. But I’ve never seen crates with bottles of alcohol and baskets of water like this.”
The divers reported finding over 100 bottles of champagne and baskets of mineral water in clay containers. These clay bottles helped the team date the shipment to between 1850 and 1867. Produced by the German company Selters, the mineral water bottles might provide clues about the ship’s ownership.
“In those days, mineral water was treated almost like medicine and only found its way to royal tables,” the diving group explained. “Its value was so precious that transports were escorted by the police. We came across about 100 sealed bottles.” Stachura speculated that the “treasure” might have been en route to Stockholm or St. Petersburg, possibly intended for Russia’s Tsar Nicholas I, who reportedly lost a ship in the area in 1852.
Historical context
This discovery is not the oldest champagne ever found in a Baltic shipwreck. In 2010, diving instructor Christian Ekstrom and his team discovered around 30 bottles of champagne on a sunken ship near the Aland Islands. Those bottles, found at a depth of 200 feet, were believed to be from the 1780s and likely destined for Russia.
Ekstrom recalled the excitement of retrieving the bottles. “We brought up the bottle to be able to establish how old the wreck was,” he told The Associated Press at the time. “We didn’t know it would be champagne. We thought it was wine or something.” The divers later opened a bottle on their boat. “It tasted fantastic,” Ekstrom said. “It was a very sweet champagne, with a tobacco taste and oak.”
The discovery by BaltiTech adds to the rich history of maritime finds in the Baltic Sea, offering a glimpse into the past and the luxurious cargo that once traversed these waters. This find not only excites historians and diving enthusiasts but also provides valuable insights into 19th-century trade and transport.