Twelve bottles of Bordeaux traveled aboard the International Space Station. Now that they’re back on Earth, the bottles have been popped, sniffed and sampled by sommeliers.
Would you try space wine?
Twelve bottles of Bordeaux traveled aboard the International Space Station.
Packed tightly in steel cylinders, the wine was never uncorked. It hung out in space for the last year as an experiment, so scientists could study how gravity and oxygen affect the fermentation process.
Now that they’re back on Earth, the bottles have been popped, sniffed and sampled by sommeliers.
The experts say there are noticeable differences between the space wine and bottles that stayed on this planet.
The most obvious difference is the price. Each of the cosmic bottles runs 5,000 Euros, or about $6,000.
"The one that had remained on Earth for me was still a bit more closed, a bit more tannic, a bit younger," said Jane Anson, a writer and wine expert.
Researchers also found the weightlessness didn’t ruin the wine. They say that energized it.
Snippets of Merlot and Cabernet vines took the trip too. Scientists say they grew faster than they do here, even though there was far less water and light.
Scientists say it’s far too early for them to know why, but if they can figure it out, it could lead to wine production that is literally out of this world.
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