From the Etruscans to Georgia and back: wine in amphoras in the spotlight

Making wine in amphoras is an ancient technique which in Georgia, where the “qvevri”, the terracotta pots used 8.000 years ago, has never been abandoned. Over the last few decades the technique has aroused the interest and attention of many winemakers, especially in Italy, where making wine in terracotta pots was practiced long before one can imagine. As a matter of fact, this is how Etruscans made wine, even before the Greeks. Therefore, it is not a coincidence that one of the most well known furnaces in Tuscany, the “Artenova Terrecotte” in Impruneta, has sponsored the Fair of wines in amphoras, “La Terracotta e il Vino”, returning to Florence, after two years on standby due to the Pandemic, on June 4th and 5th, in the setting of the Certosa. The cultural association, La Terracotta e il Vino has organized the event together with Sergio Bettini, Francesco Bartoletti, oenologist, of Artenova Terrecotte and Adriano Zago, agronomist and oenologist expert in biodynamics, to be held at the Certosa di Firenze, a unique setting due to its historic and artistic richness.
Fifty producers from all over Italy and the world will participate and present over 200 wines aged exclusively in terracotta jars. These producers believe in and invest in viticulture sustainability demonstrating quality and care by applying reduced environmental impacts throughout the entire processing chain, from the vineyard to the winery, to distribution. The most highly awaited appointment is the technical conference that will open the event on June 4th. The conference will be divided into two sessions. First, a historical-narrative slant on the tradition of winemaking in amphoras, including the participation of Ivano Asperti, wine scout, writer and author of “Vines, rare and ancient wines, The uniqueness of wine in Italy”, and the American journalist, Paul White, author of “Talha’s tales, Portugal’s ancient answer to wine in amphora”. The second part will illustrate monitoring the chemical, physical and sensorial parameters of a Sangiovese wine over the course of a year of ripening in various types of containers, such as concrete, steel and wood, as well as, of course, terracotta. In addition, Valentina Canuti, Monica Picchi and Francesco Maioli, professors of the Department of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies of the University of Florence will discuss the study of oxygenating various materials.
On June 5th, Filippo Bartolotta, wine expert, will guide the tasting entitled, “Wines refined in terracotta and their aging potential”, together with Adriano Zago, agronomist and oenologist expert in biodynamics. In the afternoon, a screening of videos that narrate the story of Tenuta Fontana (“The King's wine: the vineyard of the Royal Palace of Caserta and Pallagrello”), and Azienda Agricola Arrighi (“Nesos il vino Marino: journey to discover a legendary wine”). Plus, to further embellish the two day event, “Terracotta and Wine”, there will be a multimedia exhibition, curated by the art historian, Annamaria Bernacchioni, “Enology in Art: history and tradition”.