19th Century Shipwreck Yields Cache of Premium Champagne... How Much Is It Worth?

170-Year-Old Champagne Hoard Discovered in Shipwreck
"Likely Sunk While En Route to Swedish Royal Family"
Interest in Champagne Auction Price... "Is It Drinkable?"

Unexpected items have been discovered in a shipwreck sunk in the Baltic Sea, drawing people's attention. A large number of champagne bottles that had been buried underwater along with the ship during its time submerged were found.

Champagne discovered in a shipwreck sunk in the Baltic Sea.
Photo by Reuters

On the 29th (local time), foreign media including Reuters reported that the Polish diving team BalticTech discovered a shipwreck off the coast of Sweden that sank in the 19th century. The shipwreck lay 60 meters below the surface of the Baltic Sea and is said to be in very good condition.

Divers found more than 100 bottles of champagne, mineral water, and ceramics on the ship. BalticTech stated, "After examining the labels on the mineral water, it was revealed to have been produced between 1850 and 1867," adding, "It is estimated that the sinking occurred around this time." They continued, "Only the bow part of the ship was slightly damaged, with almost no destruction," and "We discovered many bottles of champagne, wine, mineral water, and ceramics, realizing that this shipwreck is a treasure."

The champagne on the ship was from the luxury brand Louis Roederer, and the mineral water was produced in Selters, Germany. Since both products were considered valuable at the time, experts speculate that the shipwreck sank while en route to the Russian Tsar (emperor) or the Swedish royal family.

Baltic Tech investigating a shipwreck.
Photo by AP News

What caught people's eyes was the large quantity of champagne carried on the ship. If it is confirmed that the champagne was specially produced as a top-quality product for the Tsar, its value is expected to increase even further. Mark Robertson, senior wine consultant at the British auction house Drewry's, predicted, "The wines from the shipwreck have been stored for a long time at very cold and consistent temperatures, so they will attract great interest at auction."

Netizens who heard the story responded with comments such as "I want to try it," "One bottle would easily exceed 1 million won," "I can't afford 50-year-old wine, so 170-year-old is unimaginable," "They really found a treasure," and "I wonder if it can be drunk."

Previously, in 2011, a 170-year-old Veuve Clicquot champagne bottle recovered from the same waters was auctioned for a whopping $145,000 (about 200 million won). However, since the salvage of this shipwreck has not yet been approved by Swedish authorities, the auction price will be determined later.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.