A thousand-year-old invention
Amphorae are among humanity’s oldest inventions for storing and transporting liquids. Traces of them go back as far as the 4th millennium BC, notably in Mesopotamia and Egypt, but it was above all the Georgians who were the true pioneers of the oenological use of amphorae.
In Georgia, qvevris — large terracotta jars buried in the ground — have been used for over 8,000 years to ferment, age and store wine. This tradition is so deeply rooted that it has been listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Abandoned, then rediscovered
Over time, amphorae were gradually replaced by wooden barrels, more practical for transport and volume management. But since the 1990s–2000s, a new generation of winemakers has begun to re-explore this ancestral method, particularly within the natural-wine and biodynamic movements.
Why this comeback? Because the amphora offers unique technical and philosophical advantages:
✨ Natural micro-oxygenation with no mechanical intervention 🍇 Aromatic neutrality: no oaky notes, the wine expresses only the fruit and the terroir 🌡️ Good thermal inertia: the temperature changes slowly, which benefits fermentation
A use that’s spreading, even to Bordeaux
The amphora is no longer the preserve of marginal or “alternative” winemakers. Today it’s winning over prestigious estates, including in traditional regions deeply attached to the barrel, such as Bordeaux.
For example:
Château Pontet-Canet (5th Grand Cru Classé in Pauillac) uses concrete or clay amphorae for part of its ageing. Château Durfort-Vivens incorporates them into all its wines — for some cuvées, amphora ageing even accounts for 80%.
Château La Dominique in Saint-Émilion has introduced amphorae for micro-vinifications in order to preserve the purity of the fruit. Château Le Puy, a benchmark for natural Bordeaux wine, also works with terracotta.
They’re also found in estates in the Loire, the Languedoc, the Rhône, in Burgundy, in Italy (notably at COS or Gravner), in Spain (tinajas), and of course in Georgia.
Not only for wine
The use of amphorae isn’t limited to the wine world. They’re also found:
In olive growing: for fermenting or storing certain high-end olive oils. In craft brewing: some spontaneously fermented beers are aged in amphorae. In natural perfumery and cosmetics: for macerating ingredients without chemical interaction. In ecological architecture: used as natural humidifying elements in certain bioclimatic buildings.
Gentle technology in the service of wine
What we now call “gentle technology” in wine is a form of mastery without artifice, where shape, material and environment are enough to positively influence how the wine develops. Amphorae are a perfect illustration of this.
They’re neither backward-looking nor merely symbolic: they offer a serious alternative to the barrel and to stainless steel, particularly for wines where the expression of the grape takes precedence over the style of the ageing.
📌 In summary
Amphorae are one of the oldest winemaking tools, with 8,000 years of history. Their return to modern cellars is part of a search for purity, balance and authenticity. Today they’re used by innovative winemakers… and even by great Bordeaux names. More than a passing fad, they embody a sustainable, artisanal vision of wine.
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