Amphora Wine: Rediscovering Tradition

The use of terracotta by winemakers stems from the desire to return to the origins, reviving the ancient bond between humans and nature that dates back thousands of years. This trend is now increasingly widespread around the world, especially in Western countries with a strong winemaking tradition, such as Italy and Spain.

The pioneer of the modern rediscovery of amphora wine was Josko Gravner of the Gravner winery, who, starting in 1996, began producing his Ribolla Gialla with long skin macerations in Georgian clay vessels buried underground, known as Qvevri—drawing inspiration from the traditional methods still used in the Caucasus region. A few years later, Giusto Occhipinti of the Sicilian winery COS began using Spanish terracotta vessels called Tinajas for the production of Cerasuolo di Vittoria, soon convincing his friend Elisabetta Foradori to adopt the same approach for her Teroldego in Trentino.

Since then, many winemakers have followed this path, and today, given the global spread of this phenomenon, some have claimed that “amphora is the new barrique,” highlighting the worldwide importance of this production revolution. The reasons behind this success lie mainly in the benefits of terracotta for the production of natural and artisanal wines, made through long macerations and without additives. The advantages of terracotta include:

• Excellent thermal insulation, further enhanced by the possibility of burying the containers;
• Continuous oxygenation, made possible by the material’s porosity;
• The ability to preserve the fruit’s integrity without transferring substances between the container and the wine, thus enhancing varietal expression.

Together, these benefits allow for slow fermentations with skin contact, without the need for external agents such as sulfur dioxide, added aromas, yeasts, or other additives. While the process may seem simple, the possibilities and production methods are, in fact, highly diverse.

Different Production Methods

The production of amphora wines can vary greatly and is now often subject to experimental approaches. In Italy, producers generally destem the grapes and fill the containers with both must and skins, relying on spontaneous fermentation and avoiding the use of sulfites or enological additives. The fermentation stage usually lasts only a few days, during which manual punch-downs are performed to submerge the grape skins. At the end of this process, skin maceration can continue for several months, allowing for the extraction of aromatic and phenolic compounds.

In Georgia, where the Qvevri tradition has remained alive and vital to this day, there are three main traditional methods:

• Kakheti method: the grape skins remain in contact with the must throughout fermentation;
• Imereti method: only about 10% of the skins, without stems, are included;
• Kartli method: about 30% of the skins and stems are included.

A common feature of amphora wine production is therefore the total or partial presence of grape skins in the must throughout fermentation (or even longer), both for white and red wines. A key variable, however, is the type of terracotta vessel used:

• Qvevri from Georgia are large vessels with an average capacity of 1,000 liters. They have no handles, are coated inside with beeswax and outside with lime, are buried underground, and often left open to allow carbon dioxide to escape;
• Tinajas from Spain generally do not exceed 8,000 liters, are sometimes coated with pitch, rarely buried, and usually sealed with lids;
• Tuscan clay jars from Impruneta are large, porous yet sturdy, and typically uncoated, representing the region’s long-standing pottery tradition.

Beyond these variations, each winemaker can choose how to adapt the production process depending on the desired style and grape variety. For instance, Ribolla Gialla requires long macerations to fully express its aromatic complexity, while a red grape like Aglianico tends to yield structured wines even with shorter skin contact times.

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