Amphora: Making Wine Naturally for Ages
We’ve talked about wine’s impact in history such as in Ancient Rome, both in Italy, as well as Portugal, and how old is new again in the sparkling wine, but we have never explored what the first wines were made in. That answer would be terracotta or clay vessels called Amphora, or in the plural Amphorae.
Some of the first ever vessels for transport, storage, and fermentation, amphora has been overtaken in modern history by materials such as wood, cement, and stainless steel. However, it has made a comeback the world over, especially by small wineries and artisan winemakers that are searching for natural ways to craft their wines. Let’s discover amphora, what it is and how it is used in winemaking. While there is new wave of winemakers using amphora, and there are also wineries using it for generations, like family estate winery Bodega de las Estrellas in Spain that have used amphorae for making natural wine for 200 years.
Some amphora vessels used by Bodega de las Estrellas in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain to make natural wine.
What is Amphora Wine?
At the most basic level, amphorae are clay or terracotta containers. The shape (as well as the regional name) varies from country to country: going from large egg shapes to nearly completely round. Called by different names, Qvevri in Georgia, Anfora in Italy, Tinaja in Spain, Talha in Portugal, or Karas in Armenia, it goes to show you how extensive the ancient winemaking tradition is in using amphora to make wine.
An ‘amphora wine’ is a wine that can have different levels of interaction with an amphora vessel during the winemaking process: wines can just fermented in amphora, and then transferred into other receptacles, or they continue to stay in amphora to age. In fact, winemakers move around and play with a wine’s period in amphora (be it simply aging, or just fermentation, or a bit of both) based upon their winemaking styles and the desired results for the wine.
Why Use Amphora in Winemaking?
Fermenting and aging wine in amphora has many advantages for winemakers, unique from steel or concrete vats or oak barrels. In fermentation, the clay of the amphora preserves the grape variety’s flavors and aromas that can create complex wines full of fruitiness and primary aromas. The clay also is able to hold temperature very well, creating a stable environment for the wine to slowly ferment without extra refrigeration or cooling apparatus. Also, the egg shape of amphorae creates a natural vortex during fermentation that keeps the lees in constant movement; that, paired with the stable temperature control, help to craft wines that are naturally harmonious and full-bodied. As a result, you don’t need additional intervention. Thus, they are ideal for making a natural wine.
When aged inside amphora, wines can benefit from the slightly porous material of the amphora. This allows for a micro-oxygenation. While aging in oak / wood also also allows for small amounts of oxygen to enter the vessel, it does impart flavor on the wine. Instead when using amphora, it does not add other flavors - what you taste and smell are all coming from nature and the grape. Natural micro-oxygenation, as occurs with amphora, also reduces bitterness and softens tannins and improves the overall stability of the wine.
Roman amphorae from around 79 CE, found buried under ash and lava in the Villa Poppea of Oplontis, nearby to Pompeii.
A Blast from the Past: Modern Resurgence
The first traces of amphorae can be found in ancient Georgia from around 6000 BCE. Clay amphorae were the early vessel of choice for Greeks and later Romans to make, transport, store, and serve their wine. In sites across what was once the ancient Roman Empire, and especially in sites such as Pompeii, preserved in time buried beneath the lava of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, innumerable ancient amphora vessels have been found, giving testament to the widespread use of amphora. It wasn’t until much later that wood was initially utilized as a vessel, thought to have been first used by the Celts or Gauls, then imported later into Rome. Throughout the medieval period, barrels became more popular, and eventually with the growth of technology, stainless steel tanks and cement containers were also added to winemakers’ arsenal of available fermentation and aging vessels.
Now, however, amphora is making a comeback, especially in the world of natural wine. Because of the unique way it can affect the winemaking process (as outlined in the previous section), some winemakers are turning back to amphora. Whether to preserve the unique variety flavors, maintain a constant temperature, or give a bit of oxygenation without oak flavors, winemakers are finding preferences for turning to amphora for different and unique wines. While amphora is trending, there are natural wineries using this method for centuries: such as Spanish winery Bodega de las Estrellas which using amphora with all of its wines.
The De Nova family behind Bodega de las Estrellas in front of some of their amphorae.
Bodega de las Estrellas: 200 years making Natural Wine with Amphora
For four generations, the De Nova family has been making wine in the Castilla-La Mancha area of Spain. The first winery in the region to be organic farming and use amphora in winemaking, Bodegas de las Estrellas, making their US debut this month with us, Vero, craft natural wines using amphora, searching always to work in harmony with their native surroundings in the vineyard, and in the winery. Using native yeasts in their fermentation and no added sulfites, they also farm sustainably following biodynamic principles as they try to reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible. Following the lunar cycle allows for gentle farming, not stressing the vines or the winemaking process. As winemaker Dionisio De Novo says, “our oenological practices are unsophisticated but careful and exhaustive”, crafting wines that are honest without hiding behind ‘cosmetics’ or other chemicals.
Another important differentiation between Bodega de las Estrellas and their nearby fellow winemakers is their use of amphorae. Using primarily 5000 liter amphorae in both round and egg shapes, Bodega de las Estrellas ferment their wines in their earthenware baked amphorae dating to the 19th century. This helps the wines maintain their natural characteristics, both from the terroir and the grapes, as they ferment and age.
Two of their wines, the Ego Vinum Blanco (a white wine blend) and the Ego Vinum Blanco Orange (an orange wine blend) are fermented in amphora in their winery. Their red wine blend, the Ego Vinum Barrica Seleccion, is fermented in amphora, and then undergoes additional aging in oak barrels for 12 months.
Try a taste of amphora natural wines and a bit of the Spanish terroir of Castilla-La Mancha with Bodega de las Estrellas’ wines, and imagine maybe a little bit of history imparted by clay amphorae.
