Wine Vessels - Shaping the Liquid!

Vinification is the beautiful process of converting grape juice into wine. Every step in vinification is incredibly important, but today we are going to talk about the vessels used in maturing and ageing the wine. We have heard a lot about oak and steel being used in vinification practices, but now winemakers have moved to concrete and even clay vessels. The usage of clay vessels has been connected to the ancient winemaking practices and transport. Today winemakers have a lot of alternatives in terms of vessels for wine-making, but they are selected based on the style of wine they will be producing or also can depend on the winemaker’s philosophy. For a wine, maturation and ageing is very important as some wines cannot be bottled straight after being produced. They need to be matured as they will naturally have harsh acids and tannins which need to be mellowed. This job is carried out by the vessels like oak, amphorae, clay and stainless steel. Oak can add textural complexity to the wine as well can influence flavor of the wine. On the other hand vessels like stainless and concrete does not influence the flavor, but will help to increase the complexity of the wine.

Hence, today we are going to speak about some wine vessels used being in the world of wine:

Clay Vessels: These vessels are currently trending in the wine world and are being used by several wine-makers, however, they have been a huge part of history when we look at the evidence obtained from various archaeological excavations. They have been recently found in the Republic of Georgia and has been confirmed as the world’s oldest containers which show evidence of wine. There are several types of clay vessels available and many of them are unknowingly referred to as 'Amphorae'. But not all the clay vessels are Amphorae, Amphorae are the vessels which are skinny and has a conical bottom. Then we have vessels like the Tinaja and Dolia. The Tinaja is a Spanish clay vessel which in appearance is like an egg and is large which can be used for fermentation. Dolia is very similar to the Georgian 'Kvevri', they are not large and have a tapered flat bottom and are made outside Georgia. Dolia is more likely used for red wines or for white wine which needs skin contact.

@Different types of Clay Vessels.

Concrete Vessels: They were most commonly used before stainless steel came into existence. They are a non-porous vessel and also they are very easy to clean and maintain than the stainless steel. The thick concrete vessels normally help in controlling the temperature during fermentation and maturation, as well this is the reason why many winemakers prefer it. They also reduce the cost of buying temperature-controlled equipment because of their temperature regulating quality.

@Concrete egg tank at Chateau du Tertre in Margaux.
Pic Credits: Alessandra Esteves, MAES, DipWSET.

Stainless Steel Vats: They are most commonly found in all the wineries around the world. They are non-porous and barely any oxygen can enter through them. They are as well easy to clean and can be made into various sizes and shapes. They will not contribute to the flavour of the wine. They can also come with the temperature-controlled mechanism which helps in controlling the temperature of the wine. They also help in keeping the fresh fruit character alive in the wine.

@Stainless Steel Vats.

Oak barrels: They are a significant part of the wine world and is said to be brought in by the Romans. They found oak barrels when they started expanding and found the Gaul transporting beer in it. They liked the idea of it as using the amphorae was good but was not feasible for transport. The barrels are said to be invented by the Celts, which was adopted by the Romans from the Gaul’s. Since they are passionately used in the wine world the usage of oak barrels regular for most of the wines. Some appellations govern the time wine spends in oak barrels before the wine is bottled. Oak is expensive and using it also influences the pricing point of the wine. Oaks comes in various types but most widely used are French and American oak. Both influence the flavour differently. Other than French and American, oak also comes from Hungary, Slovenia and Russia but, will have similar characteristics. French oak is considered to be the finest of all.

@Wine Barrels at Fratelli Vinery, Akluj, Solapur, India.

Article By - Nikhil Surve, Certified Sommelier.