When talking about wine we love to heap praise on the winemakers themselves, but rarely do we think about the technical aspects that back our favorite wines. One such unsung hero is Clayver Ceramic Barrels, who have a hand in fermenting some of the best wines in Europe and will soon be behind the scenes in North America.

Clayver’s barrels were inspired by traditional roman amphoras, although at a minimum of 200 liters they’re a lot larger than what you might see in a museum! In addition to looking pretty, the shape helps with color extraction and the stoneware construction allows winemakers to have greater control over their products. It’s a small wonder that wineries in Europe like Maison Veuve-Clicquot and Tarlant are already using Clayver, and it will be great to see what American wineries can do with them in the future.

See a full list of Clayver users here.