Key Concepts

Minerality +

Super Low <50mg/l
Low 50-250mg/l
Medium 250-800mg/l
High 800-1500mg/l
Very High >1500mg/l

Balance (carbonation) +

Still
Effervescent
Light
Medium
Bold

Orientation (pH) +

Acidic pH 5-6.7
Neutral pH 6.7-7.3
Hint of Sweet pH 7.3-7.8
Alkaline pH 7.8-10

Hardness +

Soft
0 - 17.1 mg/l

Slightly Hard
17.1 - 60mg/l

Moderately Hard
60 -120mg/l

Hard
120 -180mg/l

Very Hard
180mg/l & over

Virginality +

Superior 0 - 1mg/l
Very Good 1 - 4mg/l
Good 4 - 7mg/l
Acceptable 7 - 10 mg/l
Potable10 -50 mg/l

Added Carbonation +

Most artificially carbonated waters have 1 to 10g/l of carbon dioxide. Current carbonation techniques involve pressurizing carbon dioxide before adding it to the water — the pressure increases the amount of carbon dioxide that will dissolve.

Natural Carbonation +

Certain rare geological conditions can produce naturally carbonated water. The origin of the CO2 is either organic matter degradation, interaction with carbonates, metamorphic devolatilization, or magmatic degassing (volcanic activity).

Sources of Water

Spring +

More bottled waters claim springs as their origin than any other type of source. Spring waters vary widely in their mineral composition and TDS level, both of which are influenced by the geology of the local area. What all true, free-flowing springs have in common is that they're gravity-driven.

Artesian +

An artesian aquifer is under pressure. The aquifer is usually surrounded by impermeable rock. The pressure built up in an aquifer will push water to the surface and create a permanent fountain when an artesian aquifer is tapped.

Well +

Non-artesian wells need mechanical pumps to bring water from the aquifer to the surface.

Rain +

Recently, companies began bottling rainwater falling in remote, unpolluted parts of the world. Several of these waters come from Tasmania and Chile, where air pollution is exceptionally low.

Hardness +

About 20,000 years ago, the Earth was one-third covered by glaciers, the remains of which are now being tapped as a source for bottled water.

Iceberg +

An exciting new source for bottled water is melted ice from icebergs. Most icebergs in the North Atlantic Ocean come from the major glaciers of West Greenland.

Clouds +

We also have water from condensation bottled and sold. In Chile, fog forms on the shore and then moves inland in the form of cloud banks. The locals call it "camanchaca." Fog is basically tiny drops of water that are so light they don't yet fall as rain.

Deep Sea +

As they do today, icebergs near Greenland melted thousands of years ago, and the water produced was of a different temperature and salinity than the surrounding seawater. This difference kept the water separate from the surrounding water as it sank to the ocean floor. It now circles the Earth every several thousand years.

Condensation +

The production of drinking water from humidity is an innovative water extraction solution that tackles the growing problem of access to clean and safe drinking water in remote areas. Entrepreneurs have used the technology to bring us exotic waters from remote and pristine regions of the planet.

Curated +

Probably as old as winemaking itself is the idea of a cuvée. We can now also have water cuvées. Nevas from Germany is probably the first water cuvée, with two mineral waters blended and carbonated, in a stunning champagne bottle with a wire-cork presentation.

Latest Additions

Fine Water Society

The Fine Water Society (FWS) was founded in 2008 to create a global forum and further enhance Fine Water's visibility and convey the idea that water is not just water, but a natural, unprocessed product with terroir and unique characteristics. The FWS allows brands, distributors, and individuals to share information and create awareness of the category, differentiating themselves from the commodity bottled waters.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Fine Water Society please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and tell us about your water and its story.

The members of the Fine Water Society understand that there are no best waters but many stories of waters with unique character and experiences. The manifesto of the society, called the common core, spells out the vision for a Fine Water:

FINE WATER IS NOT JUST WATER

Fine Water is not a commodity with uniform characteristics but a natural, unprocessed product with terroir reflecting the geology of and circumstances of its origins.
Many different sources create a wide variety of choices. The experience of drinking bottled Fine Water should be as close as possible to the experience of drinking the water at the source.
Gentle bottling of the water at the source is the way of sharing the drinking experience with the consumer.
Fine Water is intrinsically connected to the source, and not only the natural environment but also the social and cultural environment around the source is respected and protected.

FINE WATER DESERVES ITS PLACE ON THE FINE DINING TABLE

Fine Water is the next wine, and it deserves epicurean attention.
A wide variety of taste sensations can be matched with food, and the bottled water etiquette describes vintage, temperature, food pairings, and stemware for Fine Water in an epicurean setting.
There is no best water, and the broad tasting profiles of Fine Waters allow for water menus and water sommeliers.
The upscale glass presentation of a Fine Water communicates the affordable luxury and significant enjoyment to the experience.
Fine Water has its place on the table next to wine or as the only bottle on the table. Fine Water is a healthy and stylish alternative to wine and alcohol and a much better choice to accompany food than sweet soft drinks.
Additionally, food, tea, coffee, and artisanal crafted cocktails and ice also benefits greatly in taste and story from carefully chosen Fine Water.

FINE WATER IS AN AFFORDABLE LUXURY

Fine Waters are an accessible luxury segment within the wider category of premium waters.
Fine Water has excellent quality and a very high price compared to the value category.
Fine Water is limited in its distribution, unique and rare, with a strong aesthetic and emotional content.
Fine Water has a story, brand history, and heritage with a touch of dream value.