Definition: Fumarium

It is understood that the Romans had a predilection for old wines. Pliny: "Many wines only become good with age". The period of maturity and the maximum age for storage were determined for all wines. The ancients stored their wines exclusively in pottery containers, sometimes in stone containers (ophyte) and later in glass for fine wines. The most common containers were called amphorae and were often surrounded by straw or woven rushes to protect them. It was also common to coat them with pitch to make them watertight. Once full, they were sealed with cork or terracotta stoppers and sealed with pitch, clay or plaster before being stamped with a seal.