A New Ocean Adventure Begins with Subsea Estate
This winter in Augusta, Naturaliste Charters partners with Subsea Estate to offer a new perspective on our shared ocean. Naturaliste Charters is proud to introduce an exclusive collaboration with Subsea Estate, pioneers of Subsea wine.
This partnership unites two ocean-loving businesses at the edge of the world. Each tour now offers passengers a deeper dive into the coastal stories of Flinders Bay. Just steps from where our whale watching tours depart, Subsea wine is crafted and served with the ocean as its muse.
Our passengers now have the chance to taste something as rare as a blue whale breach—Subsea wine stirred by the sea. It is a unique opportunity to experience the marine environment both on the water and in your glass.
What Is Subsea Wine?
Subsea Estate is Australia’s first open-ocean winery, and a world-first in its category. Located where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet, it uses the ocean as an active ingredient.
Bottles are submerged at a depth of 20 metres off the Augusta coast during secondary fermentation. The ocean’s natural sway keeps the yeast in suspension. Meanwhile, the consistent underwater temperature and pressure create unique flavour notes.
Subsea’s wines are shaped by the forces of nature. Each batch is impacted by seasonal currents, temperature shifts and the ocean’s rhythm. This makes every bottle an authentic expression of time and place.
With assistance from French winemakers at Wine Reef, the method has been refined over 17 years. Together, they have unlocked new possibilities in sparkling wine production without altering tradition. The result is a vibrant, effervescent wine with unmatched character and texture.
Why Subsea Wine and Naturaliste Charters?
We have always believed the ocean has more to offer than just sightings. It inspires, surprises and teaches us with every expedition.
That is why our collaboration with Subsea wine makes perfect sense. Both brands celebrate nature, innovation and adventure.
Subsea Estate’s process is rooted in the same marine environment where our orcas, dolphins and whales thrive. Every bottle captures the wildness of the coast that we explore daily. It reflects the very waters that have shaped Augusta’s identity for generations.
Before or after your Augusta whale tour, visit the Subsea Estate Cellar Door. It is located at Augusta Boat Harbour, just metres from our boarding ramp. You will be able to sip wines crafted by the very sea you cruised upon.
Ocean-Grown Abalone Joins the Experience
Your adventure does not end with wine. Subsea Estate is also home to the world’s first commercial abalone ranch.
Juvenile greenlip abalone are seeded onto artificial reef units known as ABITATs. These are carefully lowered into the pristine waters of Flinders Bay. Over two to three years, the abalone grow naturally while feeding on local seaweed.
The reef network spans an equivalent of 20 kilometres and supports a fully sustainable harvest. Unlike farmed seafood, this method replicates wild conditions with minimal environmental impact.
The resulting product is as close to wild abalone as possible—just cleaner, greener and traceable. Rare Foods Australia, the parent company of Subsea, harvests around 80 tonnes annually.
At the cellar door, you can enjoy freshly prepared abalone sourced from the nearby underwater ranch in Flinders Bay. Paired with Subsea wine, it is a tasting experience unlike anything else in the region.
Visit the Subsea Estate Cellar Door
The Subsea Estate Cellar Door is open throughout the Augusta whale season. It offers tastings of premium Subsea wine and ocean-fresh abalone from 9–4 daily. Guests can sample, learn and take home their favourite bottles and delicacies. Naturaliste Charters passengers receive 20% off the Subsea wine and abalone tasting experience—just show your whale watching booking.
You will learn how the wines are matured beneath the waves. You will also hear how French and Australian winemakers developed this globally unique process. The knowledgeable team can guide you through the winemaking process and explain how the ocean shapes every bottle.
There is nothing quite like sipping wine that has spent months under the sea, surrounded by the rhythms of the deep. It is a rare opportunity to taste wine and seafood directly shaped by the sea.
A Tasting Bonus Just for Naturaliste Guests – 20% Discount
Whale season in Augusta is already a spectacle. Humpbacks, southern right whales and dolphins grace our coast every winter. Now, with Subsea Estate onboard, the story becomes even richer.
Watch the whales in the wild. Then drink wine made by the same ocean they travel through. Taste abalone that fed off Augusta’s untouched reefs. This is a rare opportunity to see, taste and feel the power of the sea.
Book your Augusta whale watching tour with Naturaliste Charters today. And when you do, make time to visit Subsea Estate—our exclusive partner at the edge of the world. Show your whale watching booking and enjoy 20% off the Subsea wine and abalone tasting experience.
