You may have noticed that making wine in concrete tanks seems like something new or a current fashion, but the practice actually dates back to the ceramic amphorae of ancient Greek and Roman times.
Typically, wines are fermented and aged in either stainless steel tanks and/or oak barrels.
Stainless steel tanks are the choice when a winemaker wants a ‘neutral’ vessel that does not react or impart their own flavors to the wine. But, what the stainless steel tanks don’t offer is the aspect of breathing the air, allowing air in and out of the container and having it interact with the wine over time.
Oak barrels are porous, allowing some small amount of oxygen into them and, in newer barrels, impart flavor to the wine.
What winemakers have found in concrete is that it is a semi-porous substance and allows for oxygenation like oak, it is a neutral material that does not impart flavor and it is a natural insulator that stabilizes the temperature of the wine during fermentation and aging. This allows winemakers to produce wines that tend to preserve the bright and fruit-forward flavors while still allowing for the important process of allowing the wine to ‘breathe’ during production.
Turns out the ancient Greeks and Romans were way ahead of their times by using ceramic vessels to produce wine. So, if you see a wine that was produced in concrete tanks, give it a try and see what you think. Cheers!