amphorae and Pietro Zardini
Recioto della Valpolicella AMPHORA
When you stand before an amphora full of wine, its charm captivates you. I am convinced it is the most beautiful and moving vessel ever created by humankind.
recioto amphora
Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG Classico.
My winery has long been home to several amphorae of different capacities, for a total volume of about 10,000 litres. Their interior is natural; they are neither resin-coated nor paraffin-coated or treated with wax, so that the wine can receive all the benefits that only this incredible vessel can provide.
Amphorae and history.
When you stand before an amphora full of wine, its charm captivates you. I am convinced it is the most beautiful and moving vessel ever created by humankind.
Their origins date back to around 3000 BC and, as with Vitis Vinifera, the oldest finds come from Georgia.
From there, they spread throughout the known world of the time. The Greeks, and especially the Romans, made wide use of them as simple containers for oil, water and, of course, wine. The Romans introduced the vine and the art of winemaking to their colonies across Europe and brought amphorae full of this juicy nectar back to Rome on carts or large ships.
Around 300 AD, after the introduction of wooden barrels by the Celts, the use of amphorae was largely abandoned, surviving only in some areas of Spain and southern Italy.
In 2013, their use was recognised by UNESCO as an intangible heritage of humanity.
Amphorae and Pietro Zardini.
Amphora is alive and is nature, a container made of clay, that is to say earth. Amphora is pure, it has many virtues and many flaws, it is fragile and must be handled with care.
I immediately fell in love with these ancient vessels and, after spending some years studying them, decided to buy them
From the very first approach I understood that the use of amphora could deliver great results, leading wines to very interesting developments in both aroma and taste, even though its use proved quite complex.
After various trials with dry wines, I decided to age Recioto, the great sweet wine of Valpolicella.
