Volcanic Wine Awards | The Jancis Robinson Story

A field guide to clay vessels

Thursday 21 March 2024 • 1 min read
Burying qvevri in the Iberieli cellar

Amphora, qvevri, talha, tareco, tinaja, pithari, karas – what’s the difference? Julia explains in a round-the-world tour of earthenware vessels designed for winemaking. Above, Iberieli's Zurab Topuridze oversees the burying of qvevri in his cellar in Kakheti, eastern Georgia.

Clay jars may have been the only option for Romans and Greeks in classical antiquity – much better than animal skins – but today an increasing number of winemakers are entrusting at least some of their treasures to jars of clay.

This was underlined by a seminar and tasting last month in Porto, part of the annual Simplesmente … Vinho event...

Become a member to continue reading
Member
$135
/year
Save over 15% annually
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
  • Access 288,211 wine reviews & 15,867 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Inner Circle
$249
/year
 
Ideal for collectors
  • Access 288,211 wine reviews & 15,867 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
  • Access 288,211 wine reviews & 15,867 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade
  • Access 288,211 wine reviews & 15,867 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Pay with
Visa logo Mastercard logo American Express logo Logo for more payment options
Join our newsletter

Get the latest from Jancis and her team of leading wine experts.

By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

More Wine boot camp

daft wine words - wordcloud
Wine boot camp Last year I wrote about another aspect of wine language: false friends and confusing terms. Today it’s the turn of...
Riesling from Keller’s Shubertslay in the Mosel 2024 harvest
Wine boot camp The newest EU regulations on ingredient and nutrition labelling provide quick access to a wealth of important and useful information...
jumbled speech illustration
Wine boot camp The wine world is filled with words that are easily confused or misused. Here are some of the most common...
Many glasses of rose wine at wine tasting, seen from overhead
Wine boot camp Asked recently if pink and orange wines were the same, Julia explains why they are not, and delves into the...

More from JancisRobinson.com

South Africa fires in the Overberg sent by Malu Lambert and wine-news-5 logo
Wine news in 5 Plus an update on France’s ban on copper-containing fungicides for organic viticulture. Above, fire in South Africa’s Overberg, sent by...
A bottle of Bonny Doon Le Cigare Blanc also showing its screwcap top, featuring an alien face
Wines of the week You need to know this guy . From $23.95 or £21 (2023 vintage). Whenever I mention Bonny Doon, the response...
Wild sage in the rocky soils of Cabardès
Tasting articles The keystone of Languedoc viticulture, explored. See also Languedoc whites – looking to the future. ‘Follow me!’ And I do...
the dawn of wine in Normandy
Inside information Turning tides have brought wine back to the edges of north-west France, says Paris-based journalist Chris Howard. This is part...
Nino Barraco
Tasting articles Part 2 of Walter’s in-depth look at the new generation of producers reviving Marsala’s reputation. Above, Nino Barraco, one of...
Francesco Intorcia
Inside information Perpetuo, Ambrato, Altogrado – these ancient styles offer Marsala a way to reclaim its identity as one of Sicily’s vinous...
Meursault in the snow - Jon Wyand
Free for all Everything we’ve published on this challenging vintage. Find all our published wine reviews here. Above, the town of Meursault in...
La Campana in Seville
Nick on restaurants Three more reasons to head to this charming city in southern Spain. As we left Confitería La Campana, which first...
Wine inspiration delivered directly to your inbox, weekly
Our weekly newsletter is free for all
By subscribing you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.