Oak Barrels - Demystifying "The Vine"

OAK BARRELS

SUB-TOPICS Of OAK BARREL CHAPTER
1. What is a Wine Barrel?
2. Oak Barrel Sizes of the World
3. Different Types of Oaks
4. Selection & Preparation
5. Making Oak Barrels
6. Tonnellerie of the World
7. Other Sub-Topics of Barrel Chapter

1) WHAT IS A WINE BARREL?

WINE BARREL– Hollow Cylindrical Container, Made Of Wooden Staves Bound by Metal Hoops.

Oak Barrels Aging Has a Profound and Complex Effect On Characteristic and Flavors of Wine. Oak is Porous Which Leads to Slow Aeration and Chemical Reactions That Change Color, Aroma, Texture, Flavor and Complexity. The Larger the Barrel, the Slower the Aeration, Less Wine to Wood Contact, Less Oak Influence. During Each Year of a Barrels Life the Amount of Oak Imparted Diminishes About 20%. Use of Used Barrels (Over 6 Years Old) Are More Inert, Impart Little to No Oak Influence and Flavor Transfer On the Wine. (Burgundian Method)
Oak Wood- Strongest of Norther Hemisphere Hard Woods. Qualities Include;
- Hard, Durability, Supple, Watertight, Breathability, Flavoring
- Aeration- Process by Which Air is Circulated Through, Mixed With or Dissolved In a Liquid of Substance.
TONNELIER- A Company That Produces Wine Barrels.
COPPER- A Person Who Hand-Crafts Wine Barrels.
HISTORY- Celts Invented the Oak Barrels

OAK FACTS & INFORMATION

600 Species of Oak World Wide, 20 Species Suitable For Making Oak Barrels.
800,000 Oak Barrels Made Annually Worldwide.
1866 Barrique Became Standard “General” Size.
- Burgundy and Bordeaux Could Never Agree On Barrel Size and to This Day a Burgundy Barrel is 228 Liters and a Bordeaux Barrel is @225 Liters
1 Barrel= 60 Gallons, 25 Cases, 300 Bottles, 223 Liters
Oak Barrels Sizes- Vary by Country, Wine and Purpose.
Oak Grain Tightness is Measured of Quality, Tighter the Grain, the More Porous Wood.
Ways Oak Barrels Are Different: Forest Location, Stave Age, Style of Toast, Length of Toast, Grain Size, Barrel Age.
Quality Barrels Made From 150 Years Age Oak Tree.
- Different Oak Forest Produce Different Qualities of Oak…Oak Terroir.
- Increase Moisture and Humidity Produces a Wider Grain, Less Produces Finer Grain.
The Swelling of the Wood, Combined With the Constant Constraint of the 2 Metal Hoops Keep the Barrels From Leaking.
**Refer to “WINE STYLES/ Aged” For Additional Information.
**Refer to “WINE EVALUATION/ Tasting Oak” For Additional Information.

“A Bad Wine Can Be Put In a New Oak Barrel to Cover Its Flaws.”

AROMA COMPOUNDS IN OAK BARRELS
- Furanic Aldehydes/ 5 | Guaiacol
- Eugenol | Cis-WL
- Vanillin

LARGE FORMAT BARRELS– Large Barrels Treat Wine Different Than Smaller Barrels. The Surface Area is Larger and the Thickness of the Staves Allow Less Oxidative Process Than Normal. Large Format Barrels Preserve the Vineyard Characteristics of Wine by Minimizing Oak Extraction and Oxidation. Big Barrels or Larger Format Cast Tame Grape Tannins Without Imparting Alot of Oak Flavor. Large Barrels Have a Greater Surface to Volume Ratio.

BARREL, CAST, TUN, BUTT, BARRIQUE- All Generic Terms For Hollow Cylindrical Container, Traditionally Produced From Wooden Staves Bound by Metal Hoops.

2) OAK BARREL SIZES Of The WORLD

1,200 Liters– Stuck @Rhine
- Qualities…Slow/ Neutral In Oak Transfer Used… Aging Riesling
1,000 Liters– Foudre/ Fuder @Alsace, Mosel
- Qualities…Slow/ Neutral In Oak Transfer, Round In Shape
982 Liters– English Tun @England
- Qualities…Standard Imperial Measure 216 Imperial Gallons/ 259 Gallons
900 Liters– Tonneau @Bordeaux
- Qualities…Slow/ Neutral In Oak Transfer Used…Historically In Bordeaux
700 Liters– Gorda @America
- Qualities…American Oak Used…Traditional to American Whiskey
650 Liters– Madeira Drum @Portugal
- Qualities…European Oak, Thick Staves Used… Madeira/ Some Whisky
650/ 522.48 Liters– Port Pipe @Portugal
- Qualities…European Oak, Long Narrow Shape Used…Aging Port
600 Liters– Halbstuck @Rhine
- Qualities…Half the Size of Stuck Used… Aging Wine In Rhine
600 Liters– Demi-Muid @Chateauneuf-du-Pape
600 Liters– Pipe @Alsace
- Qualities… Used… Aging Wine In Alsace
580 Liters– Halbfuder @Mosel
500 Liters– Puncheon(Machine) @Andelusia
- Qualities…American Oak, Short-Fat-Shaped. Used… Sherry, Rum
500 Liters– Puncheon(Sherry) @Andelusia
- Qualities…Spanish Oak, Shorter, Squat-Shaped. Used… Sherry
478-500 Liters– Butt(Sherry) @Andelusia
- Qualities…European Oak, Long Slender. Used…Sherry
450/475 Liters– Puncheon @New Zealand/ Australia
396 Liters– Cast @Marsala, Sicily
- Used… Aging Marsala
300-350 Liters– Barrique (Cognac) @Cognac
- Qualities…European Oak. Used… Cognac/ Second Hand Scotch Whisky
228 Liters– Barriques (Burgundy) @Burgundy
- Qualities… French Oak Used…Burgundy/ Throughout Wine World
225 Liters– Barriques (Bordeaux) @Bordeaux
- Qualities… French Oak Used…Bordeaux/ Throughout Wine World
225 Liters– Barricas Bordeleas @Rioja
- Qualities…American Oak Used… Aging Rioja
225-300 Liters– Hogshead @Australia
- Qualities…Re-Purposed Barrels. Used…Scotch Whisky
205 Liters– Champagne @Champagne
164 Liters– British Brewery Barrel @England
- Qualities…Standard British Barrel Size, Equals 288 Pints
160 Liters– Quarter @Australia
136 Liters– Gonci @Hungary
- Qualities…Hungarian Oak Used…Tokaj, Named After Village Produced In.
132 Liters– Feuillette @Chablis
- Used…Aging Chablis Wine
50-100 Liters– Caretelli @Italy
- Used…Tuscany/ Vin Santo

3) DIFFERENT TYPES OAKS Of The WORLD

There’re Over 250 Types of Oak Wood Growing Around the World.
12 Varieties Can Be Used For Making Oak Barrel.
3 Varieties Are Generally Used For Making Oak Barrels.
Oak Trees Have a Life Potential of 300 to 400 Years, But Most Trees Are Harvested When They Are 150-170 Years Old.
Main Countries Producing Oak Around the World…America, French, Spain, Portugal, Slovenian, Russia.

AMERICAN OAK

Species- Quercus Alba- Contains Less Soluble Tannin Than European Oak But Higher Concentration of Aromatic Substances/ Creamy Oak Lactones.
- Quercus Gariana ($300/ Barrel)
- Quercus Douglasii
Exhibit- Highly Aromatic, Spice, Intense Vanilla, Wood Sugars, Toastiness
Qualities- Fast Growing, Tannic, Wide-Grain, White In Color, Trees 25+ Years Growth Before Oak Can Be Used In Production.

OAK FOREST Of AMERICA
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Wisconsin

FRENCH OAK

Species- Quercus Sessilis, Quercus Robur ($1,000/ Barrel)
Exhibit- Subtle Tannins of Sweetness, Structure, Complexity
Qualities- Slow Growing, Tight Grained, Brown In Color, Tree 100-125 Years Growth Before Oak Can be Used In Production.
ASSOICATIONS~ ~National Forest Office~
- Mission~ Guarantees Sustainable Management of Forests As Certified by the Program For the Endorsement of Forest Certification.

OAK FOREST Of FRANCE
- Argonne Oak Forest- Long Strip of Rocky Mountain and Wild Woodlands.
  - Geography– France(North-East), South of Belgium Border
- Berce Forest-
  - Geography– France(?), DEPARTMENT-?
- Bertranges-
  - Geography– France( ), DEPARTMENT– ?
- Bourgogne-
  - Geography– France( ), DEPARTMENT– ?
- Centers-
  - Geography– France( ), DEPARTMENT– ?
- Halatte Forest-
  - Geography– France(?), DEPARTMENT-?
- Limousin-
  - Geography– France( ), DEPARTMENT– ?
  - Qualities– Wide Grain and Contains High Tannin, But Less Aromatic Lactones
- Nevers Oak Forest-
  - Geography– France(Loire Valley), DEPARTMENT-Nevers
- Saint Palais Forest-
  - Geography– France(?), DEPARTMENT-?
- Troncais Oak Forest-
  - Geography– France(Massif Central, Bourbonnais), DEPARTMENT-Allier
  - Qualities– Tighter Grain and Contains More Eugenol/ Scents of Cloves
    - The Forest of Troncais View by Most to Produce the Highest Quality Oakwood In Europe and the World
- Vosges Oak Forest-
  - Geography– France(East), DEPARTMENT– ?, BORDERS– Germany

HUNGARIAN OAK

Species- Sessile
Exhibit- Higher Level of Eugenal Compounds, 30% Denser That Other Oak
Qualities- $500/ Barrel

OAK FOREST Of HUNGARY
- Kadar

CROATIAN OAK

Species- Quercus pubescens AKA=Forest Downy Oak
Exhibit-
Qualities- $500/ Barrel

OAK FOREST Of CROATIA
- Pristeg/ Dobra Voda
  - Geography– Croatia(Near Stankovci)
- Brac Island
  - Geography– Croatia

SLOVONIA OAK

Species-
Exhibit- Low In Tannins, Low In Aroma, Tight Grains
Barrel Producer– Dense Grained

OAK FOREST Of SLOVONIA
- ?

RUSSIAN OAK

Species- Quercus Sessilis
Exhibit- Freshness, Aromatic Low In Lactones, Tannins

OAK FOREST Of RUSSIA
- Caucasus In the Republic of Adygue

BALKAN OAK

Species– Quercus Robur
Exhibit-

PORTUGUESE OAK

Species- Quercus Gariana
Exhibit-

OAK FOREST Of PORTUGAL

OTHER OAK

Quercus Petraea

OTHER WOOD USED

Redwood-
- History– Used In California
Chest Nut-
- History- Used In Piemonte
Cherry-
- History-
Acacia-
- Histoy-

4) SELECTION & PREPARATION

DETERMINING FACTORS

TYPE OF OAK-

OAK GRAIN SIZES

The Slower the Tree Grows the Tighter the Grains is Developed by the Tree.
Large, Medium, Fine, Very Fine
Tightness of Grain.
Grain Width of Oak.
Finer the Grain Width the More Mild the Oak. (French, Hungarian Oak)
Courser the Oak the More Profound the Oak. (American Oak)
French Oak You Split, American Oak You Cut.
Tannin Content

TIME LIVES Of OAK BARRELS
Oak Barrels Have Specific Uses and “Barrel Lives” to Different Producers. Used Barrels Get “Cycled Down” After They Give Up Their Oak and Passed On to Different Produces Who Have Different Oak Needs For the Barrels. Neutral Oak Barrels Are Sought Out by Wine Producers Who Still Want to Shape the Wine But No Longer Want the Spice and Flavors That Accompany New Oak Barrels.

OAK BARREL USES
- 1 Year (New Barrel)
- 2- 3 Years (Used Barrel)
- +7 Years (Neutral Barrel)
- +10 Years (Old Barrel)

WINE & PHILOSOPHY? “Oak Barrel Neutrality?”
- “How Many Years Does a Oak Barrel Have to Be Used For it to Be Considered “Neutral”? Some Winemakers Consider a Wine Barrel Neutral After Only 2 Years. I Believe Oak Barrels Generally Gives Off Half of Its Flavors/ Influence Each Year, Therefor a Oak Barrels Becomes Neutral After +4 Years, But Even Then I Feel There is Still a Little Oak to Leave Its Influence.”

LIFE CYCLE Of An OAK BARREL

1st. Fill– Oak Barrels- The Very First Time the Barrel is In Use. (New Oak)
The Effect of a 1st. Fill/ New Oak Can Be Big and Overwhelming and Imparts Distinct Flavors.
2nd. Fill– Oak Barrels- After the Barrel Have Been Emptied and Cleaned, It’s Used Again. The Flavor Transfer is Muted and Less Noticeable.

1 Years “New Oak” -1-4 Used For New Wines.
4 Years On…Neutral Oak Barrels
4 Years+ Barrels Sold to Whisky and Scotch Producers to Age to +20 Years
10 Years.+ Barrels Are Sold to Beer Producers to Add Complexity to Beer

Wines Can Be Aged In Oak For Several Months to Several Years. Over Time Tannins Join Together and Form Long Chains, This Smooths Out Wine and Gives it a Soft, Velvet Like Mouthfeel. Aging Wine Also Encourages Clarification, Stabilization of Wine and to Ensure All Chemical Reaction Have Completed Before Bottling.

HISTORY-

Romans First to Age Wine, With Fall of Rome Quality/ Quantity of Wine Dropped, Taste For Aged Wine Decreased.
Taste For Aged Wine Increased With Development of Glass Bottle, Cork Stoppers, Which Lead to Vintage Aging.

AGING/ Elevage- The Art of Raising or Maturing a Wine to Ready it For the Moment of Bottling. (A Series of Cellar Operations That Take Place Between Fermentation and Bottling.) The Key to Elevage Lies In a Wines Relationship With Oxygen and the Exchange With and Through Wood Takes Place.

Imparts Qualities Through Process of Evaporation, Low Exposure to Oxygen. Oxygen Can Enter a Barrel Through the Bunghole, Through the Staves or Between Them. A Standard Oak Barrel is Deemed Perfect For Elevage and Subjects the Wine to an Ideal Level of Gentle Oxygenation. (35 Milligrams Per Liters Every Year.)
Barrel Fermentation is Difficult to Control.
Age of Wood as Well as Thickness of Staves Impact Rate In Which Oxygen Dissolves In Wine.

EVAPORATION- Lose of Wine in Wooden Containers Over Time Due to Evaporation or Leakage.

Angles Share- 1%- 2% Naturally Occurring Evaporation Each Year. (Based On Cellar Humidity)

ULLAGE- Space Left In Container or Amount by Which a Container Falls Short of Being Full.

Ullage Space is Not Empty But Can Contains Alcohol Vapors, Water, Some Carbon Dioxide Previously Dissolved From the Wine.
Sacchaomyces(Flor)- Scum Like Yeast That Develops In Ullage of Barrels In High Humidity Climates if Not Topped Off. (Sherry, Vin Jaune)
Devil’s Cut- Amount of Wine That Seeps Into the Oak Barrels Wooden Staves.

TOPPING OFF/ Ouillage- Adding Wine to Container Which Has Evaporated. Important So No Ullage That Would Allow Air Contact/ Oxidation is Present. Good Viticultural Practice is to “Top-Off” Bi-Monthly or Monthly.

Air Exposure is One of the Greatest Enemies to Wine After Fermentation is Complete, It’s the Leading Cause of Oxidation and Microbial Spoilage.
An Option to Topping With Wine is to Add Glass Marbles to Barrel/ Vessel to Displace Wine and Fill In Empty Space.
Another Option to Topping Wine is Use Inert Gas Such as Nitrogen, Argon, or Co2. This is Recommended For Short Term Storage Only.

“There’s a Difference Between Barrel Aging Wine(Putting Wine In a Oak Barrel) to Impart Flavors and ‘Oak Aging’ Wine(Putting Oak Chips In Vats) to Impart Flavors.”

5) MAKING OAK BARRELS

The OAK TREE
- Top- If the Tree is Straight Enough This Section of the Oak is Produced Into Wood Beams For Building.
  - The Branches and Leaves Are Used For Fuel, Fertilizer and Particle Boards.
- Middle- Wine Barrel Alternatives For Wine Production/ Tank Staves, Wood For Floors or Furniture, Bark, Fuel.
- Bottom- Staves For Wine Barrels, Barrel Alternatives. (Chips)
DIFFERENT PIECES Of WINE BARREL
- Head (3 to 8 Horizontal Pieces Across Top and Bottom of Barrel.)
- Hoops (Made of Galvanized Steel.)
  - Head/ Chime Hoop, Quarter Hoop, French Hoop, Bilge Hoop
  - Rivet (Pieces That Keep Hoops In Place.)
  - Stave (32 Vertical Pieces.)
- Areas of Barrel That Are Not Pieces.
  - Bilge (Widest Part of the Barrel.)
  - Bung Hole (Whole Where Wine is Drawn In and Out.)
  - Stave Joint (Point Where Stave Pieces Come Together.)
  - Chime (Top Edge of Barrel.)
  - Croze (Indention Between Head and Chime.)
PRE ASSEMBLAGE
- Oak Trees Are Selected On the Basis of Quality. Quality is Based On the Shape of Tree and the Growing Conditions, Both of Which Determine Texture of Wood Fibers, Tightness fo Grain and Tannin Content.
- After Tree is Cut Down/ Felled, the Tree is Sectioned Into One Meter Lengths.
- Splitting- Oak is Hand Split to Preserve Wood Grain Without Breaking Veins, or a Hydraulic Splitter is Used, or Some Oak is Cut by Saw.
- Once Split Into Workable Shapes, the Oak is Sorted and Defective Pieces Are Discarded or Cut Into Smaller Pieces to Be Used as Oak Chips Later.
- Curing- Once Sorted the Oak is Stacked and Placed In a Wood Yard and Left to Season/ or Cure For Up to 3 Years. Exposure to Air and Water to Naturally Age the Wood and Purges the Oak of Impurities, Undesirable Odors and Harsher Tannins. The Final Year Numerous Test Are Performed In Order to Monitor Moisture Content, Sugar and Acidity Development.
ASSEMBLAGE
- Act or Process of Putting the Barrels Together or Building the Barrel.
ASSEMBLING The OAK STAVES
- Lumber is Shaped, Beveled, and Cut to Length Before It’s Ready to Use. Important that the Right Number of Staves Are Chosen to Make Sure They Will Be a Tight Fit.
- Raising the Skirt/ Mise en Rose- Piecing Stave On the Inside of a Metal Hoop.
PREPARING To BEND/ Forming
- Oak Needs to Be Softened to Bend Into Shape. With Lower Irons Bands Installed, It’s Inverted Over a Fire to Heat the Wood. Water is Also Applied to Help Soften Staves So Are Pliable Enough to Bend Into Shape.
TOASTING BARRELS FOR FLAVOR
- Charring Barrels Over For at a Certain Heat Intensity For a Certain Period of Time. Barrels Charred Over a Flame of Gas, Electric or Oak Chip. Temperature and Length of Time Barrel is Toasted Has Profound Effect On Different Flavors and Aromas Associated With Barrels. The Toasting Process Will Caramelized Wood, and the Sugars Brings Out Distinct Flavors In Finished Wine While Activating the Aromatic Esters of the Wood.
  Cresset– Metal Bucket Fire is Started In with the Leftover Oak Scraps.
- LEVELS Of BARREL TOAST
  - Light | Medium Light-
  - Medium Plus | Heavy
LENGTH AND INTENSITY OF CHARRED
- Matter a Heat, Time and Intensity- Barrels Can Be Toasted For a Minute at High Intensity/ Flame, or Toasted Over Embers For Up to Eight Hours.
- How Many Times Barrel Was Used.
- How Many Years Barrel Was Used.
INSTALLING The HEADS
- Once Toasting Barrels and Heads the End Bands are Removed to Allow the Head to be Slipped Into the “Croze” and Place and Then Re-Installed to Hold Everything Together. (Heads Can Be Toasted or Not.)
FINISH & SANDING
- Cooperages Take Pride In the Look of Their Barrels. The Barrels Are Smoothed Sanded With to Give Barrel the Finish of Fine Work-Man-Ship.
HYDRATING The BARREL
- Barrel Filled With Water to Swell Wood and Check For Leaks. Barrel is Then Wrapped In Cellophane to Prevent From Drying Out Before First Use.
GENERALLY– One Skilled Cooper Can Produce One Barrel a Day
- Oak Barrels Are Produced Using No Nails or Wood Glue. The Joint/ Crows and Chimes In the Head and Pressure Keeps the Barrel Integrity In Place.
- Willow Bark- Historically In Certain Parts of the World Barrels Were Furbished With a Willow Bark Around the Heads of the Barrels to Act as a Varmint Protector Acting Against Them Eating Away at the Wood to Get to the Inside.

BUNG HOLE-

BUNG- Barrel Stopper Used to Plug Bung Hole, Made Out of Glass, Plastic, Wood, Rubber, Silicone.

Bung Stave– Stave Bung Hole is Drilled
Wine Thief- Pipette Style Glass Tube 17 Inch In Length With Angle, Used to Extract Samples of Wine From Barrel.

“A Barrel is Made Up of 34 Staves, Two Head Pieces and 4-8 Metal Hoops.”

CLEANING OAK BARRELS

HISTORICALLY

Rinse Several Times With Cold Water.
Fill Half Way With Hot Water, Add Soda Ash Solution, Fill Completely With Hot Water.
Let Sit For 24 Hours, Rinse Several Times With Cold Water.
Fill Half Way With Cold Water, Add Sodium Bisulphite Solution, Add Citric Solution, Fill Completely With Cold Water.
Let Sit For 24 Hours, Rinse Several Times With Cold Water.

THIS CENTURY

Barrel Cleaning Over the Years Has Advance With the Advancement In Viniculture. Combinations of Different Cleaning Methods Also Eliminates Virtually all Yeast, Mold and Bacteria From Wood and Decreases Volatile Acidity Potential.
Use of Steam, Allows For a More Sanitary Job Using a Fraction of the Water.
MOOG.- Devise Placed In Barrel That Uses a High Pressure Jet Washer to Vertically Wash Barrel Without Rolling or Moving the Barrel.
Blasting Water at High Pressure is Used to Remove Tartrate Crystals and Builded Up Wine Residues.
Dry-Ice Technology is Used For Barrel Cleaning.
Barrel Cleansers/ Hand Held- Cleans the Inside of the Barrel and Siphons Off the Water at the Same Time.
Barrel Cleansers/ Machine Rack- Barrels Cleaned On a Rack. The Hydraulically Powered Spray Head is Inserted Into the Bunghole From Below, the Dirty Water Runs Out Agin through the Bunghole.

BARREL RENEWAL- Taking Apart Oak Wine Barrel and Shaving Interior Pigmented Wood of the Staves, Reassembled and Sometimes Re-Toasted. While Barrels Can Be Renewed to Coax Anther 5 Years of Work, it Isn’t Exactly the Same and Most Wineries In America Dispose or Pass Along the Barrels After 5 Year.

6) TONNELLERIE

TONNELLERIE Of The OLD-WORLD

AQUITAINE @Languedoc, France Barrels Produced- 40,000
BERNARD @Cognac, France Barrels Produced- 6,500
BERTHOMIEU @Loire, France Barrels Produced-
BILLON @Beaune, France Barrels Produced- 12,000
BOUTES @Entre-d-Mers, France Barrels Produced- 28,000
BULGARIAN OAK @Bulgaria Barrels Produced- 500
CADUS @Burgundy, France Barrels Produced- 17,000
CLAUDE GILLET @St. Romain, France, Barrels Produced- 10,000
DAMY @Meursault, France Barrels Produced- 20,000
DARGAUD & JAEGLE @ ? Barrels Produced- 24,000
DEMPTOS @Bordeaux, France
EUROPEAN COOPERS @Hungary
KALINA HORDO @Hungary
LAFITTE @France
LAGLASSE @Lorraine, France
LOUIS LATOUR @Beaune, France
MERCIER @Charente, France Barrels Produced- 13,000
MERCUREY @Mercurey, France Barrels Produced- 16,000
MEYRIEUX @Burgundy, France
MILLET @Bordeaux, France
MORLIER @Bordeaux, France Barrels Produced-3,000
NADALIE @Bordeaux, France
QUINTESSENCE @Bordeaux, France
RADOUX @Charente-Maritime, France
RANCOIS FRERES @Burgundy, France
ROUSSEAU @Burgundy, France
SEGUIN MOREAU @Burgundy Barrels Produced- 90,000
SIRUGUE @Nuits-Saint-Georges, France
SYLAIN @Bordeaux, France
TARANSAUD @Cognac, France
TONNELLERIE QUINTESSENCE @Bordeaux, France
TONNELLERIE TREMEAUX @Beaune, France
TARANSAUD @France
- **Produces Wooden Egg-Shaped Barrel
TREUIL @France
VERNOU @France
VICARD @Cognac, France Barrels Produced-70,000

TONNELLERIE Of The NEW-WORLD

BARREL ASSOCIATES @ ?
BARREL BUILDERS INC. @St. Helena, California
BARREL ASSOCIATES @Fresno, California
BOUCHARD COOPERAGES @Napa, California
CANTON COOPERAGE @Santa Rosa, California
CHARLOIS COOPERAGE @Cloverdale, California
COOPERAGES 1912 @Napa, California
DEMPTOS @Napa, California
DENIS AND SONS @USA.
FRENCH COOPERAGES LLC. @Portland, Oregon
INOXCENTRO @Santiago, Chile
MISTRAL BARRELS @Sonoma, California
NADALIE @Calistoga, California
O @Benicia, California
OKANAGAN VALLEY @Brittish Columbia, Canada
OREGON BARREL @McMinnville, Oregon
QUALITY WINE BARRELS COOPERAGE @Arroy Grande, California
ReWINE BARRELS @Salem, Oregon
ROLLING THUNDER @Newport, California
SEQUIN MOREAU @Napa, California
TN COOPERS @Sonoma, California
TRUST, COOPERAGE @Napa, California
WORLD COOPERAGE @Napa, California

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A TONNELIER/ COPPER

Quality, Consistency, Experience

6) OTHER SUB-TOPICS Of BARREL CHAPTER

MANAGING BARRELS INVENTORY And THEIR INVESTMENT

Barrels Are a Major Investment to a Winery and One That Rapedlly Depriciating Vinetage After Vinetage. New French Barrels Will Cost Close to $1,000 a Barrels and New American Oak Barrels Will Set the Wine Producer Back $500. Over Time These Barrels Need to be Maintained and Protected or Sold Off to Maximize There Investment.
- Barrels Need to Be Cleaned, Sanitized and Kept In a Cool, Sufficiently Humid Cellar.
- Barrels Can Be Pasted Down Vintage to Vintage to Enhance Different Styles of Wine That a Winemaker is Producing. The First Two Years the Barrel Can Be Used On a Cabernet Sauvignon Wine, the Next Year That Same Barrel Can Be Used to Help Age a Merlot, and the Following Year That Same Barrel Can Be Used For a Pinot Noir Vintage Which Only Requires Only Light Oak Influence.
- The Last Thing a Wine Producer Can Do is to Sell Off Old Barrels. If the Producer Only Makes Cabernet Sauvingon They Can Sell Off Their Old Barrel Inventory to Another Producer Who Has a Use For 2 Year Old Barrels.
**Refer to “CONTAINERS/ Oak Barrels” For Additional Information

OAK BARREL AGING IN SOLERA BLENDING SYSTEM

Fractional Blending System- Originated In Jerez For Maintaining Consistency of Wine by Blending Between Multiple Vintages Over Time In Oak Barrels.
Using Racking or Gravity to Blend Multiple Years Barrels.
**Refer to “BLENDING/ Solera Blending” For Additional Information.

The BARREL MATRIX

The Barrel Matrix is What Experienced Wine Maker Quantify Before and During Elevage. Just as a Chef has a Spice Rack For Cooking a Wine Maker Has the Barrel Matrix.

TYPES Of OAK TOAST LEVELS
- American Chard
- French Medium Toast
- Hungarian Light Toast

AGE Of BARRELS
- New 1/2 Barrel
- Used Barrel
- Neutral Fudor
- Old

SIZE Of BARRELS
- Traditional Barrel vs. Fuder

TIME AGED IN BARRELS
- 6 Mouths vs. 1 Year. vs. 2 Years

OAK BARREL ALTERNATIVES– Mimics Oak Expression at a Lessor Price Alternative.

OAK STAVES-
- Available Individually and Generally Create the Best Barrel Like Oak Profile.
- Staves Can Be Used During Fermentation, Aging and Finishing Stages of Wine Production.
OAK SLEEVES-
- Full of Chopped Oak Pieces
OAK SHAVINGS-
OAK CHIPS-
- Chips Are Toasted In Same Manner as Staves, and Can Provide Excellent Tannins and Body to a Finished Wine.
- Available In French and American Oak, and In Different Toast Levels.
- Alternative Oak Chips…Oak “Dominos”, Oak “Beans”
OAK POWDERS-
- Oak Powders Are Suited to Be Added at the Crusher Prior to Primary Fermentation.
- Available In French and American Oak, and In Different Toast Levels.

OAK CHIPS- Cheaper Than Barrel Aging, Controllable. (Pencil Shaving to Nut Size)

American Oak Dust (Light Oak)
American Oak Chips (High Toast)
French Oak Chips (Medium Toast)

SINGLE STAVES- Staves/ Inserts Oak Planks Places In Stainless Steel Tanks.

Imparts Oak Flavors to Wine More Economically, Used In Conjunction With Micro- Oxygenation.
Plank- Term Used For a Stave When It’s Used to Add Oak Flavors to a Wine by Putting it Into a Tank or a Vessel by Itself.

BUYING OAK BARRELS

THINGS To CONSIDER
- Cultivating a Relationship With a Particular Producer.
- Dollar/ Euro Exchange Rate
- Buy In Advance, Industry Standard Generally Saves 6%.

THINGS WRITTEN ON OAK BARRELS

ON HEAD
- Tonnellier, Barrel Making
- Toast Level
- Barrel Size- Liter/ Gallon
- Year Produced
- Country of Oak Origin

ON STAVES

**Refer to “BIBLIOGRAPHY/ Sources” For Details On Scholarly Works Referenced.