Echinus (wine)
Echinus is the Latin name for a equipment for filtration of wine .
In Roman times, different sieve- like, finely bored metal vessels were used to filter wine ( colum vinarium ). Some of them were called echinus because of their sea urchin shape . They are used as a supporting base for the sieve sack ( saccus vinarius ). In the early imperial period , they replaced the willow braids described by Columella ( De re rustica IX.15 12) in this function .
In contrast to today, not entire containers were filtered, but only the amount of wine that one intended to drink at the table. This happened right at the board.