Pieter Colpaert

No one thought that he would actually be able to sell a bottle of wine for half a million dollars. But as part of his whole PR blitz, he went to this very fancy Chateau Margaux dinner at this very fancy Four Seasons restaurant in New York. And then at the end of that night, I don't know how many glasses of wine deep, he walks into a metal tray table carrying that wine and he breaks the bottle.

Well, I mean, he actually didn't because it was literally in his obituary that was published in the New York Times.

Well, I mean, he actually didn't because it was literally in his obituary that was published in the New York Times.

Well, I mean, he actually didn't because it was literally in his obituary that was published in the New York Times.

Funny thing about that story, some of the attendees, they immediately started dipping their fingers into whatever drops that they could salvage so that they could at least get a taste of this wine. The wine had chemically deteriorated and the restaurant manager said it was completely undrinkable.

Funny thing about that story, some of the attendees, they immediately started dipping their fingers into whatever drops that they could salvage so that they could at least get a taste of this wine. The wine had chemically deteriorated and the restaurant manager said it was completely undrinkable.

Funny thing about that story, some of the attendees, they immediately started dipping their fingers into whatever drops that they could salvage so that they could at least get a taste of this wine. The wine had chemically deteriorated and the restaurant manager said it was completely undrinkable.

Well... So Colin, he did have the foresight to insure the wine. So he received a $225,000 insurance payout, which he says he shared with the owner. And to this day, I think it still holds the record for the world's most expensive broken bottle of wine.

Well... So Colin, he did have the foresight to insure the wine. So he received a $225,000 insurance payout, which he says he shared with the owner. And to this day, I think it still holds the record for the world's most expensive broken bottle of wine.

Well... So Colin, he did have the foresight to insure the wine. So he received a $225,000 insurance payout, which he says he shared with the owner. And to this day, I think it still holds the record for the world's most expensive broken bottle of wine.

Yeah. I mean, in fact, I do, because I think, you know, we've been talking about wine age and space. What about wine aged on the bottom of the ocean? There's an interesting little subset in the world of fine wines that they call shipwreck wines.

Yeah. I mean, in fact, I do, because I think, you know, we've been talking about wine age and space. What about wine aged on the bottom of the ocean? There's an interesting little subset in the world of fine wines that they call shipwreck wines.

Yeah. I mean, in fact, I do, because I think, you know, we've been talking about wine age and space. What about wine aged on the bottom of the ocean? There's an interesting little subset in the world of fine wines that they call shipwreck wines.

Yeah, in 2010, for example, 47 bottles of Veuve Clicquot champagne were recovered from a 19th century shipwreck in the Baltic Sea. And, you know, wildly enough, these were still drinkable. They'd spent 170 years underwater. Wow. Yeah, so some people got to taste them and they said they were sweet, but balanced by a dry acidity.

Yeah, in 2010, for example, 47 bottles of Veuve Clicquot champagne were recovered from a 19th century shipwreck in the Baltic Sea. And, you know, wildly enough, these were still drinkable. They'd spent 170 years underwater. Wow. Yeah, so some people got to taste them and they said they were sweet, but balanced by a dry acidity.

Yeah, in 2010, for example, 47 bottles of Veuve Clicquot champagne were recovered from a 19th century shipwreck in the Baltic Sea. And, you know, wildly enough, these were still drinkable. They'd spent 170 years underwater. Wow. Yeah, so some people got to taste them and they said they were sweet, but balanced by a dry acidity.

Yeah, I mean, I think a lot of people agreed because those bottles sold for around like $43,000 a bottle at auction. Wow. And this gave Viv Clicquot, the Champagne House, they gave it an idea. Yeah. Oh, no.

Yeah, I mean, I think a lot of people agreed because those bottles sold for around like $43,000 a bottle at auction. Wow. And this gave Viv Clicquot, the Champagne House, they gave it an idea. Yeah. Oh, no.

Yeah, I mean, I think a lot of people agreed because those bottles sold for around like $43,000 a bottle at auction. Wow. And this gave Viv Clicquot, the Champagne House, they gave it an idea. Yeah. Oh, no.

A little less drastic, but they just started experimenting with storing bottles deep in the ocean. They've submerged 350 bottles of their champagne in that same area of the Baltic Sea where the shipwreck had been found. They say this is some kind of experiment. They want to better understand the behavior of wine under extreme aging conditions.