wein.plus
Attention
You are using an old browser that may not function as expected.
For a better, safer browsing experience, please upgrade your browser.
Chrome
Firefox
Microsoft Edge
Safari
Opera

Log in Become a Member

Lexicon
The largest wine encyclopedia in the world with 26,117 Terms.
0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Pithos

Greek term for a large, thick-walled and bulbous vessel (plural pithoi) made of stoneware or clay. It was similar to an amphora, but in contrast to this vessel, which tapered to a point at the bottom, it usually had a flat base so that it could also be kept standing up. It was up to more than a man high and had eyelets at the top through which ropes could be pulled for transport. It was used in ancient Greece, especially in the Aegean cultural area, as a storage and transport container for grain, honey, olive oil, salt and wine. The surface was smooth or structurally designed by band patterns in beige, sand, brown and red ochre. In a cellar in Zagora on the Cycladic island of Andros, 47 pithoi for wine were found. In addition, it was also used for burying the dead. The philosopher Diogenes (410-323 BC) is said to have lived in a pithos for a time. Similar vessels are dolium (Roman), kvevri (Georgian), talha (Portuguese) and tinaja (Spanish). See also a complete listing under Wine Vessels.

To read the full text, you must be a Premium Member of wein.plus. You are currently not logged in to wein.plus. Become a Premium Member or log in with your credentials .

Become a Premium Member of wein.plus

Voices of our members

Roman Horvath MW

wein.plus is a handy, efficient guide to a quick overview of the colourful world of wines, winegrowers and grape varieties. In Wine lexicon, the most comprehensive of its kind in the world, you will find around 26,000 keywords on the subject of grape varieties, wineries, wine-growing regions and much more.

Roman Horvath MW
Domäne Wachau (Wachau)

The world's largest Lexicon of wine terms.

26,117 Keywords · 46,878 Synonyms · 5,323 Translations · 31,451 Pronunciations · 188,323 Cross-references
made with ♥ by our author Norbert F. J. Tischelmayer. About the Lexicon

EVENTS NEAR YOU

To Online-Events
22.06.2023 - 25.06.2023 Bordeaux, France BORDEAUX CELEBRATES WINE 2023 Taste, share, savour and marvel!
19.06.2023 Germany Bordeaux Breakfast Club | Düsseldorf (Re)discover Bordeaux wines
23.06.2023 Düsseldorf, Germany Wine shopping Düsseldorf Wine Tasting Tour in Düsseldorf
15.06.2023 - 17.06.2023 Germany Wines with joy The Urban Wine Festival
27.07.2023 Düsseldorf, Germany Wine shopping Düsseldorf Wine Tasting Tour in Düsseldorf
15.06.2023 Germany VINUM Wine Tour in Cologne First-hand knowledge and inspiration.
24.08.2023 Düsseldorf, Germany Wine shopping Düsseldorf Wine Tasting Tour in Düsseldorf
23.06.2023 Germany Winemaker flirt with the Schembs Winery Magnum bottles vs. 0.75l bottles
06.03.2023 - 21.07.2023 Germany IHK Certified Sommelier/Sommelière specialising in gastronomy and commerce incl. WSET® Level 3 Award in Wines - part-time Higher vocational education
08.06.2023 - 10.06.2023 Bad Honnef, Germany MIDDLE RHINE OFFROAD Culinary delicacies to go with the wine and the view of the beautiful Rhine valley invite you to stay off the beaten track, OFFROAD!

PREMIUM PARTNERS: