The Surprising Number Of Years San Pellegrino Water Is Filtered For

"Fizzy," "sparkling," "with gas" are all words you've probably heard to describe your favorite carbonated water. Sparkling water has been around forever, but in recent years, it has increased in popularity. Per Grand View Research, in 2020, sparkling water was estimated to be raking at approximately $29.71 billion. It is anticipated that number will only grow over the next 8 years by a whopping 13% each year. Per Business Wire, that's $76.95 billion. Fizzy water is big business. In fact, the outlet notes that the "natural/mineral" market share comprised the largest percentage of sales in 2020, with more than 60% of the market share.

One brand that is part of the natural/mineral category is the Italian favorite San Pellegrino. San Pellegrino is different from simple sparkling water because, as Healthline explains, it comes from a mineral spring and contains both minerals and sulfur. According to Zippia, San Pellegrino, which Nestle owns, commands almost 5% of effervescent water sales. It's easy to understand why people love this water, but what might surprise you is the number of years it takes to filter it. Not to mention, its source was once visited by a famous Italian painter!

According to the San Pellegrino website, it takes three decades, or 30 years, for the water to travel from its source located at Val Brembana to the foothills of the Italian Alps. That's right, every time you pop open a bottle of San Pellegrino, you are drinking water that has been going through its filter process for 30 years. The water also has a lengthy list of celebrity fans, including the renowned Leonardo da Vinci, who is credited with putting the town of San Pellegrino on the map. According to Aqua Maestro, the scholar visited the town in the early 1500s and studied the benefits of the water. And if da Vinci endorses it, there has to be something to it.

During the water's journey, it is "naturally enriched" with mineral salts, which gives it its unique taste. Delish shares that 10 different minerals can be found in this water, and if you were to drink it straight from the source, it would have an aftertaste that might remind you of milk. But once it is carbonated, you are left with the bubbly taste we know and love. The carbonation is also what helps the water retain its minerals. In fact, the site explains that San Pellegrino originally sold its bottled water uncarbonated. However, once they began adding the carbon dioxide to the water, their fan base was hooked, and they stopped selling the uncarbonated version.