Before steel, came wood. Before wood came terracotta”: the magazine “Tuscany&Chianti” names Artenova pioneer of the wine of the future

2019/02/17 chemical characteristics / Greco-Roman era / impruneta / method of winemaking / olive oil / red wines / renewed tradition / standard for the industry / ustainable agriculture / wine and terracotta / wineries

An article by Giulio Saturnini in “Toscana & Chianti” describes the evolution of wine making and wine conservation from the Greco-Roman era to the present day. “Before steel, came wood. Before wood, came terracotta. Artenova is among the first terracotta producers who have been able to renew and update this ancient tradition”. Our company, we read in the article, was “one of the first to believe in this project”. “The jars produced by Artenova – writes Saturnini – have set the standard of the sector and have been adopted first by many producers in the area, and then all over the world. More recently they have even been used for making beer”.

Read the full article here

Terracotta and wine, an ancient alliance that looks to the future

Before steel, came wood. Before wood, came terracotta. Wine making in amphora is a tradition as old as wine itself. Today the tradition is revived in a new form thanks to the passion and experience of the terracotta producers in our area.

The connection between wine and terracotta has its roots in the Greco-Roman era, when this material was used both for its conservation and for transportation in the wine trade. Due to its thermal insulation capacity and its porosity, terracotta allows just enough oxygen for the wine to breathe ensuring an optimal maturation process for red wines.

For its unique physical and chemical characteristics, Impruneta clay, has proved to be particularly suitable for use in the wine sector. Always used for the construction of pots and various ornamental objects, this material has also historically been used throughout Tuscany for the conservation of olive oil. Then, thanks to the intuition of Artenova from Impruneta along with a willingness to experiment with different wineries in the area, terracotta has established itself in this field, which for centuries had been abandoned.

The jars produced by Artenova have set the standard for the industry and have been adopted by many producers in the area – first – and then around the world, to be used more recently for the preservation of beer.

If on one hand the bond between terracotta and wine responds to History and a natural path based on the extraordinary capacities of this material, it should be emphasized that its rediscovery is also the result of a great work of research and technological innovation. The terracotta companies that have been able to renew and update this ancient tradition are also those that better than others have been able to respond to the tremendous crisis that has hit this sector, especially in the Florentine area.

Among the first to believe in this project, Artenova, since 2014 celebrates this fortuitous binomial in the biennial event “Terracotta and Wine”, the largest in the world to be devoted entirely to the theme. The third edition took place on November 24-25 at the “Antica Fornace Agresti” in Impruneta. The main objective of “Terracotta and wine” is the diffusion of knowledge concerning this method of winemaking, through guided amphora-wine tasting sessions and talks between Italian and foreign producers, experts and academics. The future of sustainable agriculture will also come from this renewed tradition.