Photo by David Yoder, from winemag.com
Photo by David Yoder from winemag.com
Viticulture is going back to its roots. Italian winemaker Josko Gravner is switching from stainless steel casks to amphoras. After a trip to the birthplace of winemaking, the Caucasus region of Georgia, Gravner was inspired to use 1,300 to 2,400 liter amphoras at his winery in Oslavia. Lining the jars with beeswax, the wines are naturally fermented and then aged seven years before being bottled. Gravner is going back to the basics of 6,000 years ago and he could not be more delighted with his success. “Amphorae act like loudspeakers,” says Gravner. “They amplify the good and the bad in wine, so its essential to have perfect grapes.” Read the full article in WineEnthusiast at winemag.org. Learn about the INA excavated shipwrecks such as the Bozburun Byzantine Shipwreck that carried wine.
Overall view of the Bozburun shipwreck site in Turkey prior to excavation. Nearly all the amphora on board were carrying wine at the time the vessel sank. (Photo: INA, BK86.03).
