Frequently Asked Questions

 

Our wine is grown in premium vineyards, located in Australia's most iconic wine growing regions. We employ some of the best winemakers in the country, we’re best-in-class for sustainable agriculture, and our full range is vegan friendly. And (if it’s important to mention), we’ve won almost two dozen awards.

 

 

Our ocean health partner, ReSea Project, sets the global standard for ocean waste plastic cleanup because they’re one of the only companies certified to DNV’s Chain of Custody standard, meaning they must:

• Provide proof of the plastic’s source and authenticity
• Differentiate their reclaimed plastic from that of less serious players
• Allow anyone to trace the plastic back to its extraction site and view its onward journey
• Create a level of transparency that enables customers to trust that their purchases really help make an ocean, river, or lake, cleaner from plastic waste

For The Hidden Sea, this means we prove our claims to the highest international standards.

 

 

• WWF reports that we are now all eating a credit cards worth of plastic every week (source)
• Of the 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic produced since its invention in the 1930s, only 9% has ever been recycled (source)
• 8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean every year (source)
• 1000 of the worlds rivers make up 80% of ocean waste plastic… Good news that is only 1% of rivers (source)

 

 

Once ReSea Project removes the plastic, they weigh it and take it to local waste banks. These waste banks operate under the governing environmental authority in the district.

Depending on the quality of the plastic collected, recycling can vary. However, as a general guide:

 

• 45% goes to fuels
• 45% is recycled and returned to ReSea's parent company: OWP by Pack Tech
• 10% is unfortunately so bad that it needs to go into landfill. However, better than floating in our oceans and rivers.

 

 

• All of our wines are carbon neutral

• We are a member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia®

• We are a member of the AZPAC Plastic Pact

• We are a member of APCO (Australian Packaging Covenant)

• We invest in SCRP (Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project) as a part of our carbon neutral commitment

• The SCRP is the watershed for the largest undisturbed mangrove forest left in the Gulf of Thailand and provides clean water for more than 3,000,000 Cambodians

• Without the SCRP the watershed and mangrove ecosystem would be destroyed

• Working toward B Corp accreditation

• Glass wine bottles are infinitely recyclable without compromise on quality

• Labels are laser-printed using organic water-based inks, and the colour is burned off in the recycling process

• The Hidden Sea shippers are sourced via fibreboard manufacturers that use sustainable and recyclable materials. We also don't add any waxing or varnishing to our cartons, so they remain 100% recyclable

• Bulk shipping to the U.K. involves our wine being sent in 100% recyclable Flexi Bags (with no landfill involved at all), and the metal bulkheads are recovered and reused (resulting in no landfill at all)

 

INDIRECT IMPACT

• Carbon is reduced as a result of our ocean cleanup efforts

• Ocean waste plastic increases the concentration of bacteria on the surface of the sea

• The bacteria consume the carbohydrates and oxygen produced by phytoplankton, and transform them to CO2, which is released into the atmosphere

• Bacteria also interfere with the phytoplankton’s ability to release oxygen

• Since marine plants produce up to 80% of the world’s oxygen, plastic in the ocean is literally reducing our air supply

 

 

26 million years ago, South Australia’s incredible Limestone Coast was submerged by a vast ocean, and home to a thriving marine ecosystem. A series of dramatic ice ages caused the ocean to recede, leaving the area rich with deep limestone deposits containing majestic marine fossils.

Ancient mineralized relics, and an extensive museum of marine life, now lay buried beneath the alluvial soils of this World Heritage site, and the limestone provides a natural filtration system that is perfect for growing grapes that produce award-winning wine.

One ancient relic, found near one of our vineyards in Wrattonbully, is the fossilised remains of an ancient whale. The whale on our label is a nod to this discovery, but more importantly, it honours our ocean heritage.

 

New York–based Jon Contino is the creative mastermind behind the The Hidden Sea, and is a star in the global graphic design scene. As an artist and designer, Jon imparts his unique style on The Hidden Sea, just as he’s done for the likes of Nike, Anthropologie, NFL teams, Harley Davidson, and many others.