Wine Club: February 2026
For most of wine’s history, clay was the simple technology doing the heavy lifting. Long before oak barrels flooded the imagination of winemakers across the globe, amphoras and other earthen vessels were the default tools of fermentation and storage throughout the ancient world. The Georgians were burying qvevri in the ground over 8,000 years ago, letting grape skins, seeds, and juice ferment together in a stable, cool environment that favored texture and longevity. The Greeks refined amphoras for transport and trade, shaping them as much for stacking on ships as for holding wine, while the Romans industrialized the whole thing—standardizing sizes, sealing interiors, and moving clay-aged wine across the empire. Clay wasn’t romantic; it was practical. It breathed just enough, held temperature well, and didn’t impose flavor the way wood eventually would.
What makes amphoras feel modern again is that they never really disappeared—they just fell out of fashion when oak overtook it in terms of economics, consumer sentiment, and reproducibility. Clay sits in a middle space as far as fermentation/aging vessels go: more expressive than stainless steel, less intense than barrels. It allows micro-oxygenation without tannin transfer, preserving fruit while emphasizing texture and place, which is why contemporary winemakers seeking something pure and different keep circling back to it. Today’s amphora wines often read as ancient and experimental at the same time—less about polish, more about structure and feel.
Our four wines this month span a wide range of styles and regions. From the ancient home of qvevri in Kakheti, Georgia to some of the highest elevation vineyards in the world in Jujuy, Argentina, the one thing all four have in common is fermentation and aging in large earthenware vessels. Although very different in flavors, these wines all share structural similarities: soft, but notable, tannin and distinct mineral/earth/stone aromas. When first opened they may have a bit of a crunch to them, as air hits them they all open up gorgeously… beautiful wines to savor over the course of an evening, enjoying their changing textures and flavors.
Orgo Rkatsiteli
Kakheti, Georgia
The Grapes
100% Rkatsiteli - Organic
Tasting Notes
Aromas of rich peach blossom, honey, apricot, nectarine and heady white flowers. Well-integrated tannin is classic in a Georgian amber wine of this style. On the palate more white flowers and intense notes of dried apricots.
Pairing Suggestions
Complex, strong flavors with some heat are perfect with amber wines. This Thai Red Curry is excellent.
Can it Age?
Yes, up to fifteen years
El Bayeh ‘Tilcara Criolla Tinto’ Pequeños Parceleros
Jujuy, Argentina
Recommend chilling ~20 minutes before opening
The Grapes
60% Criolla Chica, 35% Criolla Grande, 5% Various White Varieties
Tasting Notes
Very light and expressive: sour cherry, menthol, wild raspberries, blood orange, crushed herbs, rose and wet stones… pink starburst, perhaps? High acid, light body.
Pairing Suggestions
Traditional Carbonada from Northwest Argentina.
Can it Age?
Not recommended
Cara Sur ‘Tinto’
Calingasta Valley, Argentina
The Grapes
85% Bonarda Piemontese, 15% Barbera, Grignolino - Organic
Tasting Notes
Ripe berries, black plum, stewed strawberries, violets, wet earth. Very smooth tannin, medium acid, pomegranate and wet clay jump out on the finish.
Pairing Suggestions
Beef Empanadas with chimichurri… delicious.
Can it Age?
Yes, up to seven years.
Filipa Pato ‘Post-Quer…s’
Bairrada, Portugal
The Grapes
100% Baga - Certified Biodynamic
Tasting Notes
Bursting with fruit on the nose: raspberry, brambly red fruit, wild strawberries. Opens up to lavender and mint with earthy, wet clay aromas in the finish. Very balanced wine with medium tannins and acid.
Pairing Suggestions
Arroz de Pato, a mouthwatering Portuguese rice dish featuring duck and chorizo.
Can it Age?
Up to five years.
