History tells that the ancient Greeks and Romans used amphorae to transport and store wine, but few know that similarly they used terracotta pitchers, often buried, for fermentation and conservation of the same. Today, using terracotta for winemaking means rediscovering an ancient tradition of centuries and at the same time enhancing a natural and very modern material that, if used correctly, is practically eternal.

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When we talk about terracotta we can only think of the most famous Tuscan land, an excellent land of the highest quality: the Galestro from Montelupo. Galestro has ideal characteristics for wine making and aging. For example it is an excellent thermal insulator and therefore has the ability to preserve wine from dangerous temperature changes. While its porosity allows the same to preserve a proper oxygenation and all this, since the terracotta is an inert material, it takes place without transmitting any kind of flavor.It is with the processing that Massimo Brogi perfects the product, he produces jars completely by hand using the technique of processing called a colombino.

 

With the help of a drawing, where the measurements of the diameter at different heights are reported, pull up the jar by superimposing some clay cylinders, the so-called chimneys. In this way, day by day and layer by layer, work progresses and the jar, a little at a time, takes shape. Every day the height of the jar increases by about 15 or 20 centimeters and may take several weeks to complete. It is a job that requires skill, experience and a great deal of patience. The secret to creating a quality product, in fact, is not in a hurry, you have to know how to interpret the earth and wait for the right time to intervene: if it is too soft all the work will collapse on itself, while if it is too hard that addition will never bind with the layers below.

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Once the pot is completed it is necessary that the clay loses all its moisture, the first phase is the most delicate, sudden changes in the environmental conditions could damage it and therefore the drying is entrusted to the natural tendency of the clay to dry in conditions of temperature and humidity. This is a very long process, which can take even 20 or 30 days and is always followed by a further drying phase inside a special dryer, which permanently eliminates any trace of moisture. At this point the jar is ready for cooking.

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The product remains in the oven for about 3 days with a cooking program that provides a very gradual increase in temperature in order to avoid any breakages; then reach 1050 ° C and here it remains stalled for several hours. Then come down slowly and with equal care, up to room temperature. The process ends with wetting.

To obtain a hermetic seal on the mouth of the jar, a steel cap is glued by means of glues and epoxy resins for foodstuffs.