Amphora Wines and a New Discovery of Tradition

The use of terracotta by producers responds to the need to go back to the origins, rediscovering that ancient relationship between man and nature dated thousands of years ago. This trend is now increasingly widespread throughout the world, especially in western countries with a more solid enological tradition, including Italy and Spain.

The pioneer of the rediscovery of wine in amphora was Josko of the Gravner winery who, starting from 1996, began to produce his Ribolla Gialla with long macerations on the skins in underground gerogian containers called Qvevri, Inspired by the traditions still active in the countries of the Caucasus. A few years later, Giusto Occhipinti of the Sicilian winery COS inaugurated the use of Spanish terracotta containers called Tinajas for the production of Cerasuolo di Vittoria, soon convincing his friend Elisabetta Foradori to do the same with Teroldego in Trentino.

Since then, many producers have followed this path and today, given the spread of the phenomenon worldwide, there are those who have said "amphora is the new barrique", to give an idea of the global importance of this production revolution. The reasons for this success are essentially the benefits of terracotta for the production of artisanal wines, produced with long maceration on skins and without additives. These positive properties consist of:

• Excellent thermal insulation, also favoured by the possibility of burying containers;
• Constant oxygenation, made possible by the porosity of the material;
• Ability to keep the fruit whole without transfer of substances between the container and the liquid, thus bringing out the varietal character.

All these benefits result in the possibility of slow fermentation with maceration on the skins without the need to resort to external agents, such as sulphur, flavourings, yeasts and other additives. Everything seems very simple but the possibilities and production methods are actually very varied.

Various Production Methods

The production of wines made in amphora can present several variables and is today strongly subject to experimental approaches. In Italy, there is a tendency to scrape the grapes and fill the containers with must and skins, relying on spontaneous fermentation and trying not to use sulfites and oenological additives. The fermentation phase generally lasts a few days, during which time it is possible to intervene by manual felling, that is, by circulating the vinasse in the must again. At the end of this process, the maceration on the skins of the must can last for several months, favoring a significant release of aromatic substances.

In Georgia, where the tradition of the Qvevri has remained active and vital to the present day, a distinction is made between:

• Kekheti method, which provides for the presence of the marc in the must throughout vinification:
• Imereti method, with presence of about 10% of the grape marc without stalks;
• Kartli method, with the presence of about 30% of the marc with the stalks.

A constant for the production of amphora wine is therefore the total or partial presence of the marc in the must during the whole fermentation or even more, both with regard to whites and reds. A key variable concerns the type of earthenware container to be used:

• Qvevri from Georgia are large containers with an average capacity of 1,000 litres. They do not have handles, they are covered internally with a layer of beeswax and externally with lime. They are intended to be buried and, very often, left open to allow the dispersion of carbon dioxide;
• Tinajas produced in Spain do not exceed 80 hl and are sometimes covered with a layer of pitch. They are rarely buried and are often closed with lids;
• The great clay vases of Tuscany, linked to the tradition of Impruneta. The Tuscan terracotta is porous but robust, so it does not need coatings.

In addition to these variables, there are many others and each producer can choose how to conduct the production method, taking into account the style he wants to obtain and, above all, the type of vine used. Ribolla Gialla grapes need, for example, long macerations to express their intense aromatic profile while a red grape as the Aglianico tends to give life to very structured expressions also reducing the period of contact with the skins.

Discover the peculiarities and unique personality of wine made in amphora for sale online on the store of Callmewine and offered at a special price.