Pottery House Wine School: What is a Qvevri or Kvevri?

March 26, 2020 Reprinted courtesy of : https://livingvino.com/wine-school-what-is-qvevri-or-kvevri/ 

What is Qvevri and what does it do to wine?

Wines made in qvevri are becoming more mainstream and in demand all over the world. They offer a very unique tradition that dates back centuries from the country of Georgia. But what exactly is a qvevri and why does it produce wine in the way that it does?

A Qvevri on a stand at a Georgian winery

Qvevri, in essence, is an egg-shaped clay pot that has been used in traditional winemaking families for what is assumed to be around 8000 years. Its shape is very similar to an ancient Greek amphora, only without the handles. It has, and still is, used in Georgia and is thought to be one of the first vessels to be used to ferment, age and store wine. It is a winemaking method that is so profound that in 2013 it was awarded a non-material cultural heritage status by UNESCO.

In recent years, a qvevri pot was discovered in the region of Marneuli which, after scientific testing, was found that it dated back to somewhere between 400-500 B.C.

Whilst qvevri wines have come a long way, the method of using these pots has not. Making wine with these egg-shaped vessels is no easy task as they are buried in the ground to the neck of the qvevri and then sealed. Clearly, this is obviously a very labor-intensive process to maintain due to the weight and varying size of the pots. This burial method is the same all over the country of Georgia, however, in western Georgia they keep the qvevri outside in the vineyard and in eastern Georgia they keep them buried inside the winery’s cellar.

Across Georgia, there are a few businesses that make new qvevri for commercial vineyards. However, they are most prominently and commonly used in the rural villages and towns by families where the vessels themselves are homemade.

Traditions

Traditions in Georgia are a very important part of life in the country, with winemaking being one of the most important. From an early age, children are taught how to maintain and harvest the vines, press the grapes and collect the local clay so that it can be moulded and fired to make the new qvevri by the family elders. As the children grow up, they take on more responsibility in continuing these practices and tradition, passing on the knowledge to the next generation.

This tradition has become so ingrained in Georgian life, that every year at the beginning of May the villages tend to get everyone together, make and share food whilst celebrating the annual opening of the qvevri and freely sharing the contents inside.

What Qvevri does to wine?

In the traditional wine-producing regions of France, the wine is fermented in oak barrels made from various types of new or old wood. The wood variations and age can dictate the flavor, color and other characteristics that are then added to the wine as a result. On the opposite side, there are stainless-steel vats which do not impart any flavor to the wines.

The qvevri is somewhat closer to latter, but because of its slightly porous structure and mineral compounds in clay, they influence the wines.

Once the grapes are harvested and lightly pressed, the juice along with the seeds, skins and stems are poured into the qvevri. It is then sealed. Across Georgia this wine is left for various lengths of time, however it can be anywhere from 4-6 weeks for red wines and 4-6 months for white wines. 

While the juice is fermenting and becoming wine, the contents of the sealed qvevri begin to settle. It means that the only lightly pressed grapes are naturally pressed inside the qvevri, creating a natural free-run juice, with the heavier parts of the qvevri contents, the skins, seeds and stems, settling at the bottom. This makes the wine easier to decant from the qvevri when it is open and leaves the contents for another special traditional Georgian beverage.

As the qvevri is made from fired clay, it offers the wine some more fruity and savory tones on the nose and the palate and imparts a darker shade on white wines making them appear to have an orange or, better say, amber color.

Tools for working the grapes in the buried Qvevri

 White and Red Qvevri Wines

With white wines, in particular, the body of the wine becomes fuller, tannins become noticeable, and some delicate flavors become more intense with orange peel, marmalade and quince to be most typical. With time, qvevri white wines lose their acidity slightly and get more and more amber and fuller-bodied.

Red wines also get their tannins accentuated, the body becomes fuller and flavors tend to get more sweet spice, vanilla and creaminess. Young qvevri red wines are quite punchy, with young and chalky tannins. With time, red qvevri wines become more structured, acidity settles and gives way to more secondary and tertiary aromas and flavors. They really depend on the particular grape variety used.

Ancient Qvevri in front of winery

Qvevri wine making was and still, in many ways, is a trial and error process!

Ancient Georgians discovered that by burying the qvevri and offering a lower temperature, the pressure does not build inside the qvevri and the wine will become more stable and present itself with a more average level of alcohol.

Sadly there is very little documented information across the millennia’s of Georgia’s use of qvevri. Much of the knowledge has been passed down through the generations which can provide a potential problem for newcomers to the Georgian wine industry. Despite the lack of concrete information, winemakers across the country are united in fully embracing their wine heritage and exploring where they can go to make wine in qvevri. At times they are ripping up the little known rules and experimenting with all aspects of qvevri’s uses and capabilities with ingenuity and technology. That can only mean one thing, a few years of delicious wine with new or enhanced practices to pass onwards to the future generations of winemakers.

Large Qvevri being manufactured in pieces

Chacha, cha!

Talking about Georgian wines and all their traditions, it would not be fair to talk about Chacha. Chacha is made by heating up the byproducts left over from winemaking and distilled through a mini distiller and left to drip for several hours. As it is made from the fermented and partially fermented byproducts of wine, the potency of Chacha can be anywhere between 40-60% alcohol. 

Chacha is often referred to as brandy, however this is not entirely fair as brandy is technically made from a finished base. The best way to describe Chacha is to offer a comparison to Grappa.

Should you ever visit a traditional vineyard to sample the wines, there is always a very common theme, a wonderfully warm welcome, a feast of traditional Georgian dishes and lots of natural wine which is then followed by slowly sipping chacha and toasting to everyone’s good health!

Georgian wine cellar with buried Qvevri

 Article Courtesy of Living Vino

Our natural wine list is composed of 12 exciting winemakers. We feel they deserve very special attention.

Visit us at Living Vino to try delicious qvevri wine made by passionate Georgian artisans – these winemakers are truly embracing quality and ensure careful processes at their vineyards and wineries. This way, true natural wines are made – read more about our definition of natural wines here and come and visit Living Vino wine bar in central Tbilisi to try!

Additional Information from the World Bank- https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/07/20/whats-in-a-qvevri-georgias-intangible-cultural-heritage

A Garden Designer’s take on pottery in landscape design

  “All Fired UP” Blog. by Robin Snyder

Note the use of the empty unglazed brown pots with the green pots that have touches of brown on rim and in the glaze. This connects the two.  The matte black angular pots carry though the architectural lines of the house.  The off-white ribbed ball fountain ties together with the ribbed texture of the tall brown pot in the opposite corner.

Hello and Welcome to “All Fired Up” the Pottery House Blog for folks who love ceramic pottery in their landscape!

There are many great uses for pottery in a garden or landscape as well as in the home. Whether you use pottery to plant an ornamental tree, an evergreen shrub or a seasonal mix of plants, the perfect pottery arrangement can do wonders for a space creating contrast, unique perspectives, and interesting highlights.  Pottery can have functional uses as well as decorative intent. With help from seasoned designers and Pottery House professional staff, you can create an attractive and inviting landscape with a few well-placed planters.

We are interviewing three Landscape Designers and Landscape Architects to find out their take on ceramic pottery uses, placement, incorporation into the over-all landscape and patio design.  You will be seeing each of these interviews in the next few months here on our “All Fired Up” blog.

Leslie Thies, owner of LT Landscape Design, approaches design with a focus on utilizing plants and structural elements with interesting contrasts in color and texture that provide year-round appeal.  She is interested in creating sustainable gardens, keeping in mind the use of hardy, drought tolerant and deer resistant plants, as well as fire wise arrangement of spaces and structures.  https://ltlandscapedesign.com/

Let’s Get Started!

Pottery House:  Thank you so much , Leslie Thies, for sharing your time, knowledge, and artistic skill with us and our Pottery House Fans today. Let’s get started.  As the largest outdoor pottery retailer in Central Oregon, we provide support to our customers with planter choices, styles, and colors, and make recommendations for styles and sizes.  We have the experience to find and order whatever our customer’s desire.  Making the decision of what to buy, how many and what works together in the landscape and home is hard.  We have broken down the most asked customer questions for our designers to offer their opinions.  We do hope this is helpful to our customers and fans.

This lovely pot is filled with annuals like Begonias, Dichondra ‘Silver Falls”, and the perennial shrub “Golden Berberis” to accent the blue-green tones of the pot and charcoal house colors.  The lovely textured spirals on the pot mesh with the textured neutrals of the fountain and wood slab along the wall, The orange-red of the Begonia carry the red tones of the unglazed Vietnamese pot in the background.

 Pottery House: What is your primary motivation for using pottery in your designs?  Many landscape architects and designers focus just on the planted landscape or hardscape patio and pathways.  You seem to have a strong design focus that incorporates pottery.

Leslie: High-quality ceramic planters provide beautiful, impactful structure bringing year-round color and interest to an outdoor space.  I view the use of a pot as an investment in a piece of art that changes the feel of a garden significantly and can be moved as needs and desires change.  Planters can change with the seasons as well as provide color and architectural interest in fall and winter when the colorful tropical annuals are not available. Many pots have architectural interest in themselves and can be left empty holding space and interest on their own.

Note the use of the empty unglazed brown pots with the green pots that have touches of brown on rim and in the glaze. This connects the two.  The mat black angular pots carry though the architectural lines of the house.  The off-white ribbed ball fountain ties together with the ribbed texture of the tall brown pot in the opposite corner.

Leslie:  Pots complement textural components of architecture as well as landscape.   They provide visual interest in summer with colorful plantings and strongly hold space and aesthetic interest through the winter with little or no plant materials. The plantings often include an evergreen element such as a hardy conifer or yucca, or simply cut bright twigs and boughs for winter interest. They can be layered with color and texture through the addition of perennials and annuals through the growing season.

Texture connects fencing and the pottery. In summer the webbing of the wooden chair ties both the fencing color and texture and provides complimentary textural cohesion to the ribbed pot.

See how the ribbed texture of the pot carries the horizontal lines of the fencing both in color tones and texture.  Especially in winter with the snowfall accenting the horizontal lines? 

 Pottery House: What part does physical mass play to the eye and setting? By this we mean that sometimes large individual pots are used to hold a space and sometimes multiple pots, sometimes same texture or not.  How does a homeowner figure out what to do?  And how does one not create clutter?

Leslie:  Generally, I like to use fewer, larger pots.  Not only does this make a bigger impact design wise, but it also works well in relation to the larger structural elements of a property, and/or the big picture of the surrounding structure and landscape. However, we are really talking about how the eye sees “mass”.  Multiple smaller pots arranged together can offer that same sense of ‘holding space’ as one large pot.

From the outside, it is obvious that the matte black pots carry the color of the house but, notice the rich warm rust color of the metal fencing ties into the ponderosa tree trunk? The pop of orange red of the begonias also carries those warm tones. Then follow those color tones inside to the kitchen and living area.  Can you see how the landscape ties the outside to the inside?  The collection of large and smaller accent pots and plants creates mass that hold visual space from inside and out!

Pottery House:  What pottery styles or textures are most effective?  There are so many pottery styles! From classic with a rim and tulip shapes; more contemporary rimless giving a modern or Asian look; and then everything in between with assorted color and texture.  Currently, a coarsely textured volcanic look with multiple colors and depth of texture is popular with pottery wholesalers.  How does a homeowner choose?

Leslie: I don’t think one style (or texture) is more effective than another.  It’s more about individual preference, but I do think consistency is vital.  Enough repetition of one color-palette and/or texture is pleasing and provides a backdrop for pops of color and strong contrasts in structure and plantings without cluttering a space.  This repetition can be accomplished by picking up the smallest speckle of color in one pot, repeated as the main color of another pot.  Great design mimics nature through the thoughtful use of a few colors/textures, shifting through the seasons.

As you can see in this patio grouping of pots, there are classic and modern styles of pottery; Flat and glossy glazes, textured, ribbed and unglazed pottery;  Varied sizes as well. The flat back of the house color was the main color from which all the pottery decisions were made.  The brown pots bring in the ponderosa tree trunk color.  The plant choices carry the blue green tones of the native vegetation as well as the green pots.  When the annuals (Begonias, Dichondra ,Kalanchoe die back in fall, the Yuccas, hardy Cactus and Cholla provide plant texture and contrast in the off season.

Pottery House:  How do you incorporate ceramic pottery into your designs and how do you figure out pottery placement?  There are certain landscape rules of course, like using odd numbers of massed collections; then using pots as distant focal points in the landscape; using smaller pots for intimate collections close to seating; or separating a pathway; or bringing continuity between the landscape and the building architecture.  but what is your design aesthetic?

Leslie: As I stated earlier, I think of pottery as an art piece in the design rather than an afterthought accent.  I’ll often start with a large ceramic pot or massed collection of pots or other features.  I build to the landscape with that as a focal point considering setting, natural features, and architectural components. I loved the grey tones and textures of this aged ponderosa cookie slab and paired it with this off-white ribbed fountain and coarse grey concrete and smooth flat black pots. 

The Agave comes into the garage in winter, but the Native Soapwort stays outside year-round for winter interest.  The fountain is emptied but stays out since it is under an overhang protected from snow and rain accumulation (of course the pump is removed for the winter)

 Leslie: Regarding placement, Pots and fountains become focal points, sometimes highlighting, or complimenting a particular view or structure, sometimes creating an invitation to explore a particular part of the garden. The use of massed pots of different textures, colors, and sizes, creates its own focal point.

The exterior paint color of this home was chosen in great part as a backdrop for the colors/textures of the coveted ceramic pots!  Each color tone was specifically chosen to contrast or accent the pallet of the house and the natural vegetation

Pottery House:  Oh, you mean, that the red brown tones of the brown pots in the front of the house accent the big ponderosa pines in your surroundings?  And the blue green tones of the plants you have chosen for your pots blend with the blue greens of the Pursia/Bitterbrush and Artemisia/sagebrush?  Though the bright lime green of the smaller pots and the fountain don’t seem to carry those tones?

Leslie:  Yes, I’m glad you caught that. If you look closely, the bright lime greens are mottled with brown flecks tying them to the browns of the furniture, structural patio posts and the ponderosa trunks.  That was intentional, as was the plant color choices.  I love Yuccas in our central Oregon landscape.  They have year-round interest as evergreens, and most are hardy for us even in Sisters and La Pine.  As a structural element they have a rigid leaf that provides lots of vertical movement and provide great winter interest. Sedum and Wooly Thyme provide evergreen interest as hardy groundcovers

This fountain with disappearing reservoir creates a focal point that ties into the other colors of the pottery on the patio and ties in both vegetative and hardscape colors in the landscape/

Pottery House:  With these big windows in this home, it really brings the outside pottery and landscape into the house.  It feels like the pottery and colors used outside are carried into the theme of the plants and pots inside!

Leslie:  That was intentional too! Don’t be afraid to use big ceramic pots indoors!  And, yes, I designed these pots to compliment and carry the design from inside to outside. 

The large, glazed pot inside makes a bold statement. The natural wood ball and coarse trunks of the Yucca in the basket bring all sorts of natural textures to play and connect the natural world outside.

Pottery House:  Leslie, Thank you so much for your time today.  We are sure that our customers will benefit from your design concepts as they choose their pottery.  We both might be hearing from some of them!

Winterizing your Pottery

“Winterizing your pottery” by Robin Snyder

Pottery House maintains our ‘frost-proof ‘ pottery outside year round at our Tumalo pottery yard and retail location

Here in Central Oregon, outside recreation and socializing space is a must.   Making your space beautiful is part of what Pottery House does with our brilliant ceramic pottery.

Our Central Oregon weather can range from 60 degrees and sunny, to -20 degrees and a ‘white out’, all in the same day! When winter comes, you will want to do be ready to ensure success for your pots, and the plants inside them.

For this article we will focus on using high temperature fired, frost-proof ceramic pottery. If you use some of the measures outlined below, your pottery will survive all Central Oregon weather has to offer.

Elemental Impacts: Heat, Cold, Rain, Wind Snow and Ice

All these elements: heat, cold and moisture ( in all its forms), can cause expansion or contraction in ceramics. You can help your ceramic pottery weather these extremes by using frost proof pots, creating drainage, allowing air circulation, and storing properly.

Start with the right pottery for the Job!

Not all pottery is equal! At Pottery House, we specialize in frost-proof , ‘high-temperature fired’ outdoor pottery.  After almost 20 years in the industry, we know how to find and stock the toughest pots on the block. Knowing your pottery has started with the right clay and made the rough journey to get here unscathed, should tell you something about its durability.

What makes pottery ‘frost-proof’ you ask?  Ceramics that have been fired at very high temperatures (2000 plus degrees Fahrenheit) and with the correct clays are not as vulnerable to cracking with cold and moisture. This is because the high silica clay used in making them melds into a solid or vitrifies at very high temperatures and creates ceramics that do not absorb water.  Pottery that absorbs water will crack when temperatures are below freezing.  

Drainage

Drainage is the single most important winterizing task. Elevate your frost-proof pottery to ensure water inside the pot drains out. You can do this with some sort of riser (rubber spacers, ceramic pot feet, pavers, metal, or wood stands are good options) or add a 2–3-inch gravel base underneath the pot.  In addition, it is important to ensure that the interior pot drainage holes are left clear of any blockage and water flows out freely. 

The risers ensure pots do not freeze to the ground.  This can help if your ground surface gets soggy then freezes.  Since most plants in pots need water through the winter, this is a very important component of winterizing pots with planted vegetation.  Ceramic saucers should be removed from pots for the winter to allow free drainage, or one might find the saucer frozen to the pot and all drainage blocked.

Air Circulation

With the drainage hole clear, and with pots elevated, water can drain when temps are warmer leaving enough air for circulation inside, under and around the pot.  This can also help cool the pot in heat extremes and protect plants in cold weather. 

Proper Storage

As air temperature dips, water turns to ice.  If water cannot drain, ice forms and expands puting pressure on ceramic pots.  If pots are stored empty and free to drain of water, snow and ice, there is little concern.  If pots are filled with live plant matter, or they are too large to move,  drainage must be ensured.                       

It is possible to protect your pottery from being damaged by following the suggestions mentioned above. You can keep your frost-proof pottery outdoors in our Central Oregon climate with thoughtful placement and attention to a few important factors.

https://digitalfire.com/glossary/vitrification

https://digitalfire.com/article/outdoor+weather+resistant+ceramics

Pottery In TheWild Photo Contest 2023

Garden Art Category

The following photos were submitted to Pottery House by Fans creating their own designs in their own settings with pottery and garden art from Pottery House in 2023

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