Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/646485
w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m M a r - A p r 2 016 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 6 5 to 500-gallon tanks, complete with valves and lids, supplied by Bryan Vansell of Mission Clay Products. The major takeaway from his con- siderable experimentation is that clay is particularly conducive to adding finesse and mouthfeel to higher-acid wines like Sauvignon sels are incredibly pretty and I love trying something new. Although there's really nothing 'new': Wine makes itself!" Jordan Fiorentini has one 500 L unit and would like to have the larger 800 L amphora, especially if it had valves. Hers is strapped in a custom brace to facilitate forklifting it around. Cleaning is simple: She's used to concrete. H e r o v e r a l l r e a c t i o n i s t h a t Rhones are good candidates for different aging vessels, including clay, but she's not going overboard on amphorae. "It's a journey," she says. "I'm not going to flip a switch. We're trying to be ahead of the curve. It opens up a whole new direction in wine and food: It's like food cooked in clay versus non-stick." Think of it: clay-cooked forbid- den rice with amphora-fermented Sauvignon Blanc, perhaps served in a glazed clay wine goblet. It could be the next pairing craze. Laura Ness, aka "Her VineNess," is a wine journalist and critic who judges a variety of wine compe- titions and writes regularly for consumer and trade publications, including WineOh.TV. Comments? Please e-mail us at feed- back@vwmmedia.com. Blanc, which he's tested along with Chardonnay. "I think the greatest potential for clay, at least up to this point of our research, is with super high-acid wines. The clay punches up the mid-palate and rounds the wine out, without taking away the freshness," says MacGregor. He's especially excited about Carignane, Sagrantino and potentially Sangio- vese, all of which are being tested. He and Vansell are working on per- fecting clay barrels as well. More on this in a later issue. UPSIDES, DOWNSIDES Amphorae require a totally dif- ferent mindset in the cellar. When compared to wood barrels, they're definitely more of a challenge to move and clean. From a cost stand- point, clay is significantly cheaper than concrete, because the latter requires thermal units. Costs run about $3,500 for an Italian 500 L amphora with a steel lid; optional floor stands are avail- able to help in tipping the vessel for emptying solids and cleaning. O f a m p h o r a e , F r o m s a y s , "Frankly, they're a pain in the ass. Having them, in general, is a labor of love. You can't stack them and they're hard to dump fruit out of. We got our smallest person to get in and bucket it out! But the ves- Quality Stainless Tanks Custom Fabricated Stainless Wine Tanks for the Perfect Fit, or 500 to 10,000 gallon "In Stock" Wine Tanks for your Immediate Needs. Either way, We Have You Covered! Call QST Today for Assistance with your Stainless Cooperage Needs or Pricing & Availability. QST is located in the Heart of Wine Country 510 Caletti Ave. Windsor, CA 95492 707-837-2721 direct or 877-598-0672 toll free www.qualitystainless.com QST website winetanks@aol.com email for sales & info "Our Previous Clients Are Our Best Salespeople" Bryan Vansell of Mission Clay Products with some of his clay units at Saracina in Hopland, Calif.