Wine made in clay vessels? Sure, in ancient times! But today? Yes! Commonly called amphora, wine made in clay vessels are made around the world in modern times. This month the Wine Pairing weekend crew of wine writers are exploring this topic and you can scroll down to see the list of exciting titles with links to participants who will be posting by Sat. August 14 at 8am — just in time for our twitter chat on the subject using the hashtag #winepw. Find the discussion questions below.
Long before wine was made in oak barrels and stainless steel, people scooped up clay from the earth and they shaped it into vessels for fermentation.
These first wine vessels, made in the Republic of Georgia over 6000 years ago, were called “Qvevri.” Lined with beeswax, they were buried underground for temperature control as the wines fermented in the stable coolness of the earth.
Amphora are large clay vessels used since ancient times to ferment grapes and age wine; Andrew Beckham makes them today in his studio In Oregon near his vineyards.
The Romans used a potter’s wheel or turn table to make their clay pots for wine fermentation; these amphora had a base to stand above ground. Continue reading →
There’s a wine for every food
and a food for every wine!
The secret is in the sauce… and the preparation!
While some insist drink what you like, and pair the wine you like with the food you like BUT while you MAY like it, and everybody’s chemistry is different, some pairings are A+, others awful, and some just all right.
What I like isn’t always what Sue likes. She loves jalapeños, onions, celery; I don’t. In fact, I have a hard time digesting green peppers and onions. I’m not fond of celery, and I really find that celery seed has a strong flavor that hangs around and doesn’t do well with wine.
Over the years of pairing and writing about food and wine pairings has taught us a few tricks– especially when pairing wines with vegetarian dishes.
WINE PREDATOR’S TOP 10 TRICKS FOR FOOD AND WINE PAIRINGContinue reading →
Success often comes at a price, but at Reyneke, it’s important that their success does not cost the earth or people. So says Johan Reyneke. Instead, the goal of Reyneke wines is for both planet and people to flourish.
To achieve this goal, Reyneke ONLY produces organic and biodynamic wines– Continue reading →
“The seasons, changes of the land, and language of nature all speak to us. We have to listen; they are a vision of balance between our surroundings and ourselves. The earth is our mother. She nourishes us, that which we put into the ground she returns to us…” Kitá
In the Santa Ynez Chumash native language of Samala, “Kitá” means “Our Valley Oak.” The large gracious trees dot the Sant Ynez Valley, their extensive canopies providing shade and shelter with their acorns an important source of food for fauna and folk alike.
Sue Hill opens a bottle of Kitá Sparkling Roussanne under the oaks near Nojoqui Falls; Nojoqui is a Chumash word meaning “honeymoon place” or “meadow.”
As a testimony to the importance of the valley oak to the tribe and the ecosystem, Continue reading →
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 