Terra cotta is the best natural material for planters, but it’s also are great for many other things. Terra cotta clay pots have been used for centuries in the baking of bread. Winemaking has been around since the beginning of man. Through the years, wine was considered safer to drink than water. The art of winemaking utilized terra cotta clay pots for thousands of years before wine was created in barrels.
Amphora – No Barrel Wine
Amphora is the generic word used to describe terra cotta containers that hold wine. While they vary in size depending on the region you travel to, their purpose is the same. The Republic of Georgia calls their amphoras “Qvevri,” which is a huge wine holding vessel. The beauty of terra cotta clay pots is they are natural and versatile.
The Ease of Winemaking Using Terra Cotta Clay Pots
There is no science, just beauty and good wine when making wine in terra cotta clay pots. You drop your grapes in the pot and let nature do its work. Because of the nature of the terra cotta vessel, it cools while fermentation takes place. The grapes naturally move around, which helps create wines of complexity without finishing agents that aren’t environmentally friendly. You don’t need to use animal products or animal byproducts in the production of the wine, such as egg whites, skim milk or isinglass, an agent that is made with the bladders of dried fish. The absence of those animal products helps create a clean wine that is not only environmentally friendly and cheaper to make, but is also vegan-friendly. The benefit of using terra cotta clay pots in swirling is the pot is negatively charged and has no cold corners where spoilage can begin. Sediment falls naturally to the bottom of the vessel. This will leaving you saying, “Cheers!”
You can learn more about terra cotta clay pots by visiting the Tuscan Imports website.