# Tuscany digs up clay pots again

> A handful of Tuscan estates have swapped oak for terra-cotta, the vessel the Etruscans used first.
- Title: Tuscany digs up clay pots again · Robb Report | Shortify
- Summary: A handful of Tuscan estates have swapped oak for terra-cotta, the vessel the Etruscans used first. Amphora aging is a deliberate move toward wines that taste…
- Keywords: wine, tuscany, amphora, winemaking, terra-cotta, digs, clay, pots, again, Robb Report
- Source: Robb Report — https://robbreport.com/food-drink/wine/tuscans-embracing-ancient-rome-winemaking-techniques-1238629179
- Author: Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen
- Published: 2026-09-13T19:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: wine, tuscany, amphora, winemaking, terra-cotta
## Oak is not the only way
Oak barrels have set the standard for aging wine for centuries. A small group of Tuscan estates decided that standard was worth questioning.

> oak barrels have been the gold standard for aging wine for the past several hundred years
## A far older vessel
They went back to terra-cotta amphora, clay jars that predate every barrel in the cellar. Old technology, used on purpose.
## Why the clay vanished
Amphora fell out of use as stainless steel tanks and oak barrels took over the wine world. Convenience and scale won for a long stretch.
## The point is purity
Clay does not season the wine the way oak does. Fermenting and aging in amphora lets the vineyard speak without a layer of wood on top.

> to maintain unadulterated expressions of their vineyards
## From fringe to conversation
What started as an odd experiment by a few producers is now an open dialogue among Tuscany's most forward-thinking winemakers.

> has blossomed into a wider dialogue
## The clay was always here
Tuscan clay pits have supplied fine terra-cotta wine vessels since the Etruscans. Many wineries still use local clay, and source more from elsewhere in Italy and Europe.
## Key takeaway

Amphora aging is a deliberate move toward wines that taste like their vineyard, not their barrel.