Wine as we know it cannot exist without human intervention. Without humans, grapevines would exist only in the wild, and at the whim of birds, who spread their seeds whenever they eat grapes. Without the deliberate interference of man,  there would be no domesticated grapevines, no intentional monoculture of those same vines, and little to no wine would ever exist, except perhaps by accident. How did this wonderful accident occur?

Simply by observing. Birds and small mammals feasting on berries and fruits that had fallen to the ground and started to ferment would show signs of drunkenness. Early humans observing these animals would probably get a chuckle out of these antics before capturing the marinated beasts for dinner that evening. Noting that the animals who had consumed the “spoiled” berries did not die, the next step for the adventurous early humans was to ingest the same berries and fruits that had so entertained the intoxicated creatures. Being human, and enjoying intoxication, it’s pretty easy to connect the next few dots. Although the processes of fermentation were unknown until Louis Pasteur discovered yeast thousands of years later, pretty much every early religion has a god or goddess dedicated to the magic process of fermentation, solidifying the need and process for creating the magic molecule of ethanol. Of course, with this sudden advent of creating liquid comes a need for storing said liquid. While the early containers meant for fermenting and storing wine and mead were rudimentary clay vessels or concrete tanks, technology throughout the ages has provided new and better vessels for storing wine— oak barrels, glass, concrete eggs, stainless steel tanks, and even fiberglass. As these new containers became available, each was considered to be the best technology of the time for storing and aging various types of wines and liquids. Each of these containers has a particular influence on the wine that they hold, and today there are more options available to winemakers than ever before. What used to be necessity is now a stylistic choice for the winemaker. In the sections below, you will find a short description of what sort of influence to expect from each individual type of vessel.

Amphorae

Probably the oldest portable vessel for storing wine, there is evidence of wine in clay shards dating back to the Egyptians and beyond. While later stoneware was more durable, clay amphorae were easy to make and lightweight. Today, they are used in the cellars of those who call themselves non-interventionist, makers of “orange” wine, and those who consider the wine that they produce “natural”. The clay the comprises these ancient containers is very porous, allowing the contents of each to slowly “breathe,” exchanging carbon dioxide for fresh air, which allows the yeast to stay active, rising and falling naturally in the fermenting wine. This constant “stirring” gives amphora-aged wines a creamy texture. The drawback here, however, is that it is difficult to prevent oxidation in amphora-aged wines. There is simply too much porosity, quickly evaporating the wine with no easy way of “topping off” the resulting airspace. This can often produce interesting flavor profiles, ranging from different levels of nuttiness (almond, hazelnut) all the way up to strongly volatile noses of acetone and non-fruit components, especially among the more natural of producers.

For a clean take on amphora-aged wine, try the Chardonnay or the Criolla from the Bodgegas y Vinedos Nicolas Catena. For a wild ride into the outer limits of avant-garde winemaking, try a wine from Gravner or Radikon.

Concrete 

A truly ancient material, concrete was used ever since before Roman architects ran their famous aqueducts all over the Empire. Easy to pour into both large fermentation vessels and smaller conditioning vessels, concrete has many advantages besides its low cost. Like clay vessels, it is porous, allowing the wines to breathe. Unlike the clay vessels, it is easy to keep the wines from evaporating quickly. Concrete has smaller pores and can be poured in thicker layers than the fragile clay pots, making the gas exchange between the wine and the outside air slower and gentler. Wines aged in concrete tend to be incredibly fresh and energetic without any outside influence from the inert concrete tanks. Once mainly a standby for old-school producers of wine in historically economical places like the French Pyrenees or Portugal, concrete is enjoying a return to vogue. Wineries in places like Burgundy and Bordeaux employing concrete tanks for fermentations and experimenting with some aging in smaller containers as well. Wines aged in concrete have the advantage of being inexpensive, like the “ILICO” Rouge from Domaine des Schistes— but there are exceptions to this rule, like the classically styled “Cuvee K” from Chateau Massereau, or the searingly dry “Chamane” Muscat a Petit Grains from Domaine Roc des Anges. 

 Oak / Wood

As materials science improved, oak and other woods became the logical choice for both producers and merchants of wine to store their goods. Coopers, experienced in the art of manipulating wood, would cut, dry, and age different types of wood into barrels, employing rudimentary metalwork together with the bending of the staves into liquid-tight containers that could be rolled, stacked, and even floated on a body of water for easy transport. Technological know-how once again made wine easier than ever to transport in smaller amounts. This new ability to contain wine also came with an unexpected side effect: the influence of oak on wine. Arguably one of the most divisive flavor components of wine, new French and American oak most definitely have their fans: Those who request “buttery” Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon with “vanilla” have deftly picked up on two of the most prominent tasting notes in wines that come into contact with new French oak. Classic Burgundian whites and reds often see generous amounts of new oak application, which increases with the quality and concentration of the wine it holds. A Grand Cru Burgundy, one of the finest single vineyard growths, is always more likely to see oak than the simple regional wines. As the oak gets older, the tannin and phenol additions of the oak recede, leaving only the beneficial porosity of the oak to allow the wines to breathe without too much addition of flavor. These used oak barrels are prized for their ability to bring balance and texture to a wine without rendering the wine off-balance for years to come. Oak isn’t the only wood invited to the party. Winemakers have been using barrels of different shapes and sizes for years: everything from tiny acacia casks to huge Hungarian oak foudre. 

For an example of a classically styled white Burgundy with a combination of new and old French oak, please consider Marie-Pierre Manciat’s St. Veran, a beautifully lush and crisp Chardonnay from Macon that utilizes oak to complement and not overpower the wine. For a wine with a higher percentage of new oak, consider the Puligny-Montrachet “Les Levrons” from Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur. For a duo of oaked reds, try the Bourgogne from Domaine Sylvie Esmonin or the St. Julien from Chateau Leoville-Barton.

 Stainless Steel / Glass / Fiberglass

The inert aging vessels are the most technologically sound. Glass being the oldest, it of course has been in use the longest, but compared to other inert vessels, has a few problems. It is not lightweight, meaning it is limited to either fermentation vessels in the cellar or small portable bottles of the finished product. The wine-producing area of Muscadet typically uses glass-lined tanks for elevage, allowing the wine to sit on its lees and create complexity without adding any influence from the container. Glass is also transparent, allowing light to wreak havoc on certain delicate compounds within the wine itself. Finally, it is brittle, allowing for more breakage than stainless steel or fiberglass tanks. Repeated use and heating can create invisible stress fractures, leading winemakers to find alternatives as soon as they were technologically available. For a good example of purity of terroir in glass-aged wine, try the single-vineyard “Clos des Briords” from Domaine de la Pepiere.

Stainless steel, product of the Industrial Revolution, seemed like a godsend for modern winemakers: strong, durable, and easy to clean. It seems like most of the winemaking world utilized stainless steel, or inox, in the cellar. It produced fresh, simple wines without the influence of oak or any of the expenses associated with constant “topping-off” of smaller containers.  What could any complaint be about such a wonderful advent? Winemakers eventually derided stainless steel wines a being “reductive,” a quality that occurs in wines that are not allowed to breathe. It seems funny, but the older, more porous containers were actually better for the personality of the wine. 

Fiberglass, arguably the newest material used for wine production, introduces degrees of porosity into the different grades of the spun glass material. It seems to bring wines into balance, as the container brings the best of the inert vessels to the winemaking process. The wines that are raised in fiberglass often show profound honesty and depth, since there is nothing for them to hide behind. Some winemakers is regions typically dominated by old oak or stainless steel are turning to fiberglass as a lightweight, easy to clean vessel that allows the terroir of the wine to shine. For the ultimate experience in fiberglass elevage, try any of the delicious and ephemeral wines from Gilles Berlioz at the Domaine Partage

There are more vessels out there than listed in this guide. The world of wine always invites those who take chances and risks, and elevage is an important part of this game. Tradition has its place, and we will always have classically-styled wines that need to age for years to bring oak into balance. These wines will always also be expensive, as barrels are wildly costly and, in terms of investment, wildly inefficient. The younger, poorer winemakers and regions of the earth are the ones to watch for innovation— who knows what kind of crazy vessel they’ll be fermenting in next? I don’t know, but count me in for a bottle!

– James