Searching for the best way to make pure, terroir-driven wines, a few brave producers in Italy have traded in their temperature-controlled stainless steel fermenting tanks and wooden vats for clay amphorae. For thousands of years, terracotta containers – called by various names in Italian including anfore, orci and giare – were the only option available to early winemakers when they transformed grape juice into wine. Originating in the Caucasus in Georgia – the area credited as the birthplace of wine some 6,000 years ago – these large ceramic jars are still used in the region today.
© Paolo Tenti | Gravner cellar
Due to politics (it was part of the Soviet Union until 1991) and years of civil unrest, Georgia’s amphora wines remained virtually unknown to the rest of the world until the turn of the new century, when Italian winemaker Josko Gravner visited the area and brought some of clay vessels, known as qvevri back to Italy.
© Paolo Tenti | Mateja and Josko Gravner
Today a small but growing number of producers from Italy and around the world have adopted amphorae of varying sizes and origins. For most converts, amphorae are the natural progression of a holistic approach to winemaking that includes eschewing harsh chemicals in the vineyards and a non-interventionist approach in the cellars. Winemakers who have switched to amphorae say the vessels allow them to produce the purest expression of their grapes and vineyard areas.
From beguiling honeyed whites to earthy reds boasting radiant fruit purity, you’ll never forget a wine vinified in amphorae.
Read the article: Italy’s Amphora Wines: Back to the Future
Amphora COS Fontodi Foradori Italian wine Josko Gravner St. Pauls Wine Enthusiast
Last modified: September 2, 2022
