Concrete egg
A modern ovoid concrete wine vat with smooth curved walls, made in several sizes and fitted according to model. Used for wine fermentation and maturation; support, access, cooling and interior treatment vary.
Equipment · Tanks and vats
Concrete wine tank
concrete vat · cement wine vat
Concrete wine tanks are heavy, fixed vessels in rectangular, cylindrical and tapered forms. Their thermal response and wine contact depend on mix, wall construction and interior finish.
Concrete is a structure as well as a vessel
A concrete wine tank is made as a heavy, fixed-in-place object rather than a small cellar jar. Documented forms range from rectangular compartments to freestanding cylindrical or tapered vats. A 2009 photograph from Maury shows broad concrete rims and open tank tops; a Pomerol photograph shows a large tank face with stainless access and fittings. Those images document particular wineries, not one standard design.
Today, manufacturers cast or prefabricate reinforced-concrete vats and offer model-specific forms, manholes, ports and optional internal finishes. The material is substantial, so installing one involves cellar space, access and structural planning. Concrete tanks can be used for fermentation or maturation, but the tank's precise design and fittings determine how it is operated.
A family of shapes, not one universal tank
The label covers several designs. A maker's catalogue, for example, separates rectangular parallelepiped, cylindrical, truncated-pyramid and truncated-cone vats. Oval concrete vessels are another documented form used in research, but the distinct concrete egg is covered separately in this equipment catalogue. The shape names therefore describe examples, not a complete worldwide typology.
Capacity is similarly model-specific. Nico Velo publishes a 10–300 hectolitre range for its Quadra parallelepiped line. That tells a reader how large one manufacturer's range is; it does not set the limits of concrete tanks generally. The same maker offers standard and custom models, with optional temperature control and different interior treatments.
Thermal mass and contact chemistry depend on the build
Concrete has high thermal inertia, so its mass can soften temperature changes around fermenting wine. That does not make every tank self-regulating: cellar conditions, wall design and any integrated control system still matter. Concrete composition also varies by manufacturer, and an interior finish changes the surface the wine meets.
Concrete is not automatically inert or uniformly porous. Laboratory work found that tested concrete could resist liquid passage while still allowing oxygen transmission; formulation, pore structure and coating altered that transfer. In one triplicate Sauvignon Blanc study, wine held in the oval concrete vessels had the highest pH and lowest titratable acidity among the tested vessel types. The researchers linked the result to inorganic compounds released from those tank walls, so it should not be generalized to other vats.
What the historical record and care sources support
A concrete-vat cellar at Celler Cooperatiu d'Igualada in Catalonia was built in 1921–1922, and a photograph identifies its original reinforced-cement vat lids. This is a dated example, not evidence that Igualada invented concrete wine tanks or that modern designs descend unchanged from ancient masonry vessels. Manufacturer records and winery photographs show concrete tanks still in use in several regions.
The evidence does not establish one concrete recipe, wall thickness, coating, capacity or cleaning protocol for all tanks. Some products offer epoxy or cement-based interiors, and these finishes can change contact and oxygen-transfer behavior. Commissioning and cleaning should follow the specification for the actual tank and liner; laboratory permeability procedures are not a winery care manual.
Sources for this section
- File:V2016 - Celler Cooperatiu d'Igualada 09 Inscripció en una tina.jpg →
- Company →
- Characterization of the Oxygen Transmission Rate of New-Ancient Natural Materials for Wine Maturation Containers →
- File:Concrete fermentors at Calvet-Thunevin winery in Maury.jpg →
- File:Château Gazin fermentation tank.jpg →
History
An Igualada cooperative cellar built in 1921–1922 contains original reinforced-cement wine vats. This attests use by that date, not an origin or an unbroken line from ancient masonry vats.
Equipment details
Capacity1000–30000 L The 10–300 hL range is for Nico Velo's Quadra parallelepiped product line only; it is not a universal size range for concrete wine tanks.
PowerNot established The vessel itself is passive, but some manufacturer models offer temperature-control systems. The installed power arrangement depends on the selected tank and cellar.
How you get oneBought, manufactured Prefabricated concrete wine vats are sold by specialist manufacturers; Nico Velo documents standard designs and custom products. The source does not establish a general price.
CareNo single cleaning or commissioning routine is established by the cited sources. Follow the maker's instructions for the particular concrete mix and interior finish; research material tests are not operating or sanitation guidance.
Made of
- Concrete — Main load-bearing tank wall and body
Modern examples include prefabricated reinforced-concrete vessels. Mixes and finishes vary by manufacturer. - Stainless steel — Access doors, hatches, sample points or valves on some tanks
Visible on documented French examples; fittings vary by product. - Epoxy resin or cement-based plaster — Optional interior finish on some products
Nico Velo documents internal epoxy-resin vitrification on request and a cement-material finish on some models; coatings are not universal.
Limits
Concrete composition and interior coating affect liquid contact and oxygen transmission; tested porous concrete or untreated surfaces may require treatment to prevent liquid passage. A coating can change oxygen transfer substantially.
Source →The higher pH and lower titratable acidity reported for concrete-fermented Sauvignon Blanc came from a particular replicated trial; it is not a guaranteed result for other tanks or wines.
Source →Places
Igualada
Historical attestation · Locality evidenceA photo documents an inscription on one original cement-vat lid at the Celler Cooperatiu d'Igualada; it records this cellar, not the tank type's place of origin.
Maury
Documented use · Locality evidenceThe file identifies concrete fermentors at Calvet-Thunevin winery in Maury; the image shows broad upper edges and openings.
Pomerol
Documented use · Locality evidenceThe file identifies a fermentation tank at Château Gazin in Pomerol; it is one producer's example.
Curicó
Documented use · Locality evidenceThe study reports that juice from Leyda Valley grapes was fermented in triplicate oval concrete vessels at Miguel Torres Winery in Maule, Curicó, among other vessel types.
Fontaniva
Manufacture · Locality evidenceNico Velo documents production of concrete wine vats in Fontaniva; this is a manufacturer's location, not an origin claim for all such tanks.
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Sources
Molecules 26(3), article 554 (2021)Documented use · Materials · Wine chemistry · Geography
Chemical and Physical Implications of the Use of Alternative Vessels to Oak Barrels during the Production of White WinesThe study fermented and aged the same Sauvignon Blanc juice in triplicate cylindrical stainless tanks, oval concrete vessels, oval polyethylene vessels and clay jars.
The wines from concrete vessels had the highest pH and lowest titratable acidity in this trial, likely related to inorganic compounds released from concrete; this is study-specific.
Grapes came from Leyda Valley, Chile, and the trial took place at Miguel Torres Winery in Curicó, Maule.
Cited in: A family of shapes, not one universal tank; Thermal mass and contact chemistry depend on the build
Foods 10(1), article 140 (2021)Materials · Contact properties · Limits
Characterization of the Oxygen Transmission Rate of New-Ancient Natural Materials for Wine Maturation ContainersConcrete tank materials differ by manufacturer and are produced with molds and interior/exterior finishes.
Concrete samples can be impermeable to liquid while permitting oxygen passage; porosity, concrete formulation and coatings affect oxygen transfer.
The authors caution that actual oxygen-transfer behavior must be measured under conditions resembling vessel use.
Cited in: Thermal mass and contact chemistry depend on the build; What the historical record and care sources support
Nico Velo S.p.A.Manufacture · History · Materials
CompanyThe manufacturer says it was founded in Fontaniva in 1943 and began producing cement tanks for water and wine.
It reports a series of monolithic vats for a French winery in 2009, several current vat forms, and optional epoxy or cement-based interior finishes.
Cited in: Concrete is a structure as well as a vessel; What the historical record and care sources support
Nico Velo S.p.A.Form · Materials · Acquisition
Products: concrete wine vatsThe manufacturer offers rectangular, cylindrical, truncated-pyramid and truncated-cone designs as distinct models; these describe one maker's catalogue, not a universal standard.
Cited in: Concrete is a structure as well as a vessel; A family of shapes, not one universal tank
Nico Velo S.p.A.Capacity · Dimensions · Form
Quadra parallelepiped vatsNico Velo lists Quadra parallelepiped vats from 10 to 300 hectolitres with model-specific dimensions and weights; this range is not general to all concrete tanks.
Cited in: A family of shapes, not one universal tank
Wikimedia Commons; photograph by Ryan O'ConnellVisual reference · Form · Geography
File:Concrete fermentors at Calvet-Thunevin winery in Maury.jpgThe file identifies concrete fermentors at Calvet-Thunevin winery in Maury and is dated 25 December 2009; it shows large concrete tank tops with broad rims and access openings.
The file page states CC BY-SA 2.0.
Cited in: Concrete is a structure as well as a vessel; What the historical record and care sources support
Wikimedia Commons; photograph by Antoine BertierVisual reference · Form · Geography
File:Château Gazin fermentation tank.jpgThe file identifies a concrete fermentation tank at Château Gazin in Pomerol, photographed 15 January 2010; the photograph shows a rectangular tank face with a stainless access door and lower fittings.
The file page states CC BY 2.0.
Cited in: Concrete is a structure as well as a vessel; What the historical record and care sources support
Wikimedia Commons; photograph by JordiferrerHistorical attestation · Materials · Geography
File:V2016 - Celler Cooperatiu d'Igualada 09 Inscripció en una tina.jpgThe page says the Celler Cooperatiu d'Igualada was built in 1921–1922 and that the photographed inscription is on an original 1922 reinforced-cement vat lid.
The file page states CC BY-SA 4.0.
Cited in: What the historical record and care sources support