This Italian wine blog is all about educating others, while also educating myself. As I mentioned before I highly encourage comments as I love to hear from my readers and I love emails as well. This blog was inspired by one of my readers whom was asking me about glass bungs, but it also got me thinking about amphora and I thought it'd be a perfect way to talk about amphora and winemaking and tie in glass bungs as well.
The use of Terracotta
Terracotta wasused in ancient times for storing and transporting wine throughout Italy. I've seen many terracotta artifacts from visiting the ancient ruinsof Pompeii in the past as well as many other places including theEtruscan museum in Fiesole. Let's admit it, ruins are everywhere inItaly and is part of what makes it so fascinating and unique.
But terracottaisn't only a thing of the past as you'll see many wineries stillusing it in Italy today as well as the rest of the world. There issuch a focus on sustainability and biodynamic winemaking thatproducers are looking to make wine as natural as possible and usingthe pure clay in terracotta amphorae provides a perfect option forwine fermentation and storage.
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| Wine jars of Artenova |
What makes the terracotta ofImpruneta so special?
Impruneta islocated in Tuscany within the province of Florence, just a short jauntoutside the center of Florence on your way to the chianti classicowine country. LaTerracotta e Il Vino Artenova is the only production facilitieswithin Italy making terracota amphora for winemaking. If there was aplace to make such a product I believe Italy is the perfect place tostart.
The clay of Impruneta is known for it's durability and the clay wine vessels areall made by hand. The clay is added layer by layer and compresseddown using a process known as a colombino. It must be dried instages so it takes awhile to make these pots depending upon the size. When everything is dried it goes inside the kiln at about a thousanddegrees and this process is what gives it the beautiful orangepinkish color. This sort of craftsmenship is what I respect aboutItaly and the Italians themselves.
I virtually interviewed owner, Leonardo Parisi, of Artenova Terracota production facility of amphora located in Impruneta, Tuscany.
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| Leonardo Parisi, owner of Artenova |
1) What's the difference betweenusing terracotta for wine storage in comparison to oak barrels andstainless steel?
Wine kept in terracotta undergoes adegree of oxygenation that cannot be obtained with stainless steel.Wood has an excellent capacity for oxygenation however we also havetransference of tannins and aromas from the wood to the wine whereasterracotta is completely neutral, therefore, you get a higherexpression of the flavors and perfumes from the grapes themselves.
2) How popular is terracotta inwinemaking within Italy compared to other storage methods?
The use of terracotta for winemakingin Italy is much less practiced compared to wood or steel but theinterest of the ever growing number of bio-dynamic wine producerstowards natural materials and lower (or zero) doses of chemicals forpreservation is consequently increasing the demand for terracottawine jars. Artenova has over 80 clientcompanies in Italy who make wine in terracotta plus manyforeign companies too.
3) What makes the terracottaproduction of Impruneta different than other areas within Italy?
It is the particular type of clayfound only in this area, which makes the terracotta of Imprunetadifferent from any other type of earthenware produced in Italy. Ithas unique physical characteristics making it extraordinary for itsimperviousness and breathability. It is a material that providesexcellent thermal insulation, protecting the wine from excessivetemperature changes during storage. Furthermore, its porosity allowsa good passage of oxygen enabling optimal maturation, particularlyimportant for red wines. Impruneta clay has been well known sinceancient times for its characteristics of resistance and durability(Brunelleschi used it for the roof tiles of the Duomo of Florence)and for its unique rose-pink color, a great enhancement for any winecellar! It is a unique and unalterable type of clay.
The workshop of Artenova in Impruneta (Tuscany, Italy)
Incidentally, always attentive toinnovation and willing to experiment new ideas, Artenova has recentlybegun a collaboration with the University of Florence to investigatethe structure of Impruneta clay and its reactions with wine on ascientific level. To this end the Department of Chemistry of theUniversity of Florence will carry out a study, the first of its kind,of the physical-chemical and sensorial parameters of wine during itsprocesses of fermentation and maturation inside terracotta jars. Theinitial results will probably be presented on the 19th –20th of November 2016 in occasion of the second edition ofthe International Convention "Terracotta and Wine" which,like the first edition, will be held in Impruneta (Tuscany) in themagnificent 18th Century terracotta workshop “FornaceAgresti”.
4) On average how long does it taketo produce an amphora?
It takes about two weeks to mold aterracotta wine-jar, after which, a further 30 days are necessary fordrying. If you wish to “speed” things up a little, the jar can beplaced in a special drying room, called a "Seccatoio". Ingeneral it takes between a maximum of 90 to a minimum of 60 daysbefore the jar is ready. In some cases, weather permitting, you canreduce this to 45 days. “Patience” is the productionphilosophy of Artenova!
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| Craftsmen working in the Artenova's workshop |
5) How are the amphora typicallysealed and what's the benefit of the glass bung?
The jars are fitted with a specialstainless steel lid complete with seal, a necessary piece of moderntechnology to prevent the passage of air. The glass “bung” is anairlock and its sole purpose is to allow the wine maker to monitorthe level of the wine without opening the lid, again to prevent airgetting in. Even if a small quantity of air gets into the wine, thewhole lot is ruined.
All pictures copyright of Sergio Bettini.
Source: LaTerracotta e Il Vino Artenova
