Wine storage and transportation through the ages

Various vessels used for storage and transport of wine for past 8000 years.

Choice influenced by:

Available materials

Transport needs for trade

Wine style requirements of the time

Spoilage and breakage considerations

Storage material –clay, wood, steel, plastic…

Container size – 750ml – 250,000L +

Wine quality – Effected by transport and

storage options

Hip flasks of yesteryear made from

animal skins or bladder

Animal skin or bladder

Small volume personal use vessels

Photo source: Ad Meskens http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphora

Earthenware vessels found with the first signs

of wine

Adopted by most wine producers of the

mediterranean and mesopotamian regions

Amphora a precursor to modern wine bottles

and well suited to transport by ship

Wine tankers of the Roman empire!

Short historical record indicates possible

problems with design

Early large volume vessel suited

to bulk transport

Photo source: Brad Harbach http://www.absolutevisit.com/blog/wine-tanks-bodega-terrazas-mendoza-argentina/

Discovered by the Romans being used

for beer. Gauls or Celts credited with their

invention

Quickly adopted over the use of amphora

Remaining today as an important wine

storage/ aging option

Photo source: Verallia http://www.winesandvines.com

Originally fragile and not widely accepted until production via coal furnace in the 1700’s.

Now the vessel of choice world-wide for post production wine

Heavy, inert, usually 750ml, familiar

Cork or screwcap main closures today

The modern wine scene…

Stainless steel tanks

Wooden Barrels

Plastic containers

Concrete tanks

Glass and plastic bottles, bag in box

Large storage vessels play a major rolein the global wine industry with huge volumesmoved to all corners of the globe

Assumption that glass bottles = quality hasled to inefficient packaging for trade

Transport costs an important consideration

for producers needing to trade outside of

local area

Quality control of bulk wine intended for

bottling at destination a concern for many

Bussewitz, C. (2012, December 20). Concrete wine tanks growing in popularity. The Press Democrat. Retrieved from http://www.pressdemocrat.com

Caputo, T. (2013). Winemakers turn to egg-shaped tanks. Retrieved from http://zesterdaily.com/drinking/winemakers-turn-to-egg-shaped-tanks/

Carlton, D. (n.d.). A history of fine wine storage. [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.finewineconcierge.com/a-history-of-fine-wine-storage

Cholettte, S. & Venkat, K. (2009) The energy and carbon intensity of wine distribution: A study of logistical options for delivering wine to consumers. Journal of Cleaner Production, 17(16), 1401-1413. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2009.05.011

De La Hamaide, S. (2014, May 13). USA becomes world biggest wine market as French drinkers cut down. Reuters. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com

Demakos, L. (2014). Retrieved from blog.iwawine.com/2014/06/the-history-of-wine-storage/

Hartley, A. (2008). Bulk shipping of wine and its implications for product quality. Retrieved from http://www.wrap.org.uk

History and philosophy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.kvevri.com

Lindsey, B. (2014). Bottle typing / diagnostic shapes. Retrieved from http://www.sha.org/bottle/wine

Malin, J. (2014). The 8,000 year effort to transport wine around the world. [Blog post] Retrieved from http://vinepair.com/wine-blog/history-wine-transport-8000-years/

Marlier, S. & Sibella, P. (2002) La Giraglia, a dolia wreck of the 1st century BC from Corsica, France: study of its hull remains. The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, 31(2), 161-171. doi:10.1006/ijna.2002.1037

Moore, V. (2014, January 31). Incredible bulk: why are we bottling foreign wine in Britain? The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk

NZ wine. (2013). New Zealand winegrowers annual report 2013. Retrieved from http://www.nzwine.com/assets/sm/upload/da/9i/te/eu/NZW_Annual_Report_2013_web.pdf

Pellechia, T. (2006). Wine: The 8,000-year-old Story of the wine trade. London: Running Press

Rankine, B. (2004). Making good wine. Sydney, Pan Macmillan.

Robinson, J. (2006). The Oxford companion to wine. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Salins, C. (2014, August 4). Tapping into kegged wine. Hospitality Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/beverage/tapping-into-kegged-wine

Salutwineco (2009, April 27). A short history of wine bottles [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://salutwineco.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/historyofbottles/

Shea, L. (2013). History of glass wine bottles. Retrieved from http://www.wineintro.com/history/glassware/general.html

The history of wine Part II – Wine storage – The early days. (2009). Retrieved from

http://www.snoth.com/articles/the-history-of-wine-part-ii-wine-storage-the-early-days/

The history of wine Part III – Wine storage – Barrels. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.snooth.com/articles/the-history-of-wine-part-ii-wine-storage-barrels/

The New Zealand screwcap wine seal initiative – Ten years on. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.voxy.co.nz/lifestyle/new-zealand-screwcap-wine-seal-initiative-ten-years/5/80324

Weiskircher, R. (2008). Summary of prior experiments regarding temperature in sea containers. Retrieved from http://wscc.scl.gatech.edu/resources/tempinseacontainers.pdf

Wine exports exceed $1.3 billion. (2014) Retrieved from http://nzwine.com/news/wine-exports-exceed-13-billion/

Why wine is aged in Oak. A history lesson. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://vinepair.com/wine-aged-oak-history-lesson/