When it comes to minimising the influence of wood on wine, we often hear about concrete, stainless steel, stoneware, terracotta, porcelain, granite… But what do these materials actually mean for ageing?
- Stainless steel : conductor, no natural micro-oxygenation.
- Concrete : a mixture of mortar and gravel, set without curing. It provides natural micro-aeration but often requires a covering (tiles, resin) to make it waterproof. Without this, it remains alkaline and may bleed or require treatment with tartaric acid.
- Granite : a hard rock composed of crystals, sometimes radioactive, cut from the rock face.
And the others? That’s our speciality!
Ceramics is a broad category comprising stoneware, terracotta, porcelain and earthenware (the latter not being used for wine). It is made from clay and other materials, fired at different temperatures. The type of ceramic depends on its composition and firing temperature:
- Terracotta: mainly clay, orange in colour due to iron oxide, fired at a low temperature. Not watertight without a glaze and requires treatment with tartaric acid.
- Stoneware and porcelain: fired at high temperatures, ensuring stability, watertightness, natural micro-oxygenation and neutrality of taste. No leaching, no seepage, and ease of use and cleaning are their key strengths.
At Biopythos, we offer three firing temperatures for stoneware (and therefore three different levels of porosity) and porcelain with a fourth level of micro-oxygenation, to best meet the needs of winemakers. Our customers report remarkable and consistent results thanks to this choice of materials.