Regulatory compliance
Pour them good wine, and they will make good laws - Montaigne
CE 1935 / 2004
CE 2023 / 2006
All our jars made from natural terracotta and stoneware comply with regulations governing materials in contact with foodstuffs.
Supporting documentation related to this compliance is available upon request.
V&T AMPHORES encourages users to ensure that their product adheres to the maximum acceptable limits defined in the annexes of the current International Code of Oenological Practices issued by the OIV.
Detailed Composition | Art. 2
The composition of the clay is essential, as it determines the firing temperature, color, and porosity of the jar. Our raw materials are composed as follows :
Terracotta
Si :41% -Al :17,54% - Ca :20,90% -Fe :11,83% - K :3,13% -
Mg : 4,56% -L.O.I. : 1,04%
Stoneware
SiO2 : 62,56% -Al2O3 : 18,29% -Fe2O3 : 7,09% TI02 : 0,02% - CaO : 0,28% - MgO : 0,80% K2O : 2,22% - Na2O : 0,11% -
L.O.I. : 6,46%
(Si = silica, Al = alumina, Fe = iron, K = potassium, Ca = calcium, Mg = magnesium, Ti = titanium, Na = sodium, L.O.I. = Loss On Ignition)
Origin | Art 2
Terracotta
Tuscan galestro clay from Impruneta, Italy, protected by a geographical label (200 km² terroir).
Stoneware
Silicate sedimentary rock from the Sichuan Valley (Red Basin quarries), China. Its exceptional texture is unique worldwide.
These natural clay terroirs have been recognized for their food-contact quality for centuries :
-
Nearly 1,000 years for terracotta – used for storing olive oil and wine
-
Nearly 2,000 years for stoneware – used for storing wine, rice alcohol, and fermenting fruits and vegetables
Potters have settled near these terroirs, developing and passing down artisanal know-how for generations.
Traceability | Art 17
All our jars made of natural terracotta and stoneware comply with regulations governing materials in contact with foodstuffs.
Labeling | Art 15
The food-contact logo appears next to the serial number.
Inertness | Art 16
Several Cofrac-accredited laboratories such as Eurofins, SFC, PH Labs SRL regularly analyze the inertness of our containers (especially regarding the non-transfer of heavy metals).
All lab reports are available upon request.
CO2 EMISSIONS
TERRACOTTA PRODUCTION
Terracotta Production in France (2018)
4,136,864 tons → 650,841 tons of CO₂
= 157 kg CO₂ per ton of terracotta
CO₂ emissions for a 200 kg terracotta jar (500 L capacity) :
157 kg X 200
1000
= 31.4 kg of CO 2
for a 500 L jar
Per liter = 31.4 kg
500 L
=62.8 g
Source : FFTB – Sustainable Development Report
STONEWARE PRODUCTION
In France in 2018 :
0.613 tons of CO₂ per ton
That is, 613 kg for 1,000 kg — for a 500 L bowl made of 200 kg of stoneware.
613 kg X 200
1000
= 122,6 kg of CO 2
for a 500 L jar
That equals =122,6 kg
500 L
=245 g
Source : Transparencia.ascec.es – May 2015
CO₂ production for a GLASS bottle
By comparison : 345 g
Source : Express website - Mya 2015
TRANSPORT
Calculation of transported weight in a 40-ton container for V&T AMPHORES :
A TRUCK typically carries : 20 jars of 300 kg each = 6 tons
Truck transport from Italy : Florence to Bordeaux = 1300 km
A CONTAINER typically carries : 20 jars of 250 kg = 5 tons
10 jars of 150 kg = 1.5 tons
Total = 6.5 tons
Container transport from China : Chongqing to Bordeaux = 12,000 km
that equals per terracotta jar :
624 kg / 20 jars per container
= 31.2 kg
Per stoneware jar :
234 kg / 30 jars per container
= 7.8 kg
Source : Polytechnique Insights – How to Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Maritime Freight
By Eric Foulquier, research professor, and Anaïs Maréchal, science journalist – May 4, 2022
