Wine Barrels
by Wendy VanHatten
Living near Napa Valley, wine barrels are a common sight.
Did you know…
The Benefits of Wood
Winemakers have used oak barrels for centuries. Barrels allow tiny amounts of oxygen in to help mature the wine, while compounds in the wood give the wine structure and flavor. Different oak varieties impart different flavors. You may get a coconut flavor from American oak, or spice from French oak. Different levels of wood “toasting” can also occur.
Barrel Tech
How much technical innovation can a wood barrel really handle? Surprisingly, quite a lot. Instead of using dry heat to soften staves before shaping them into barrels, some coopers are finding that it’s easier to bend the staves in hot water. Coopers are also experimenting with hybrid barrels that combine French staves with a few American ones, as a way to tinker with flavoring.
The Life of a Barrel
Harvesting
Many winemakers prize French oak. But the oak trees harvested for barrels grow everywhere from Slovenia to Missouri.
Seasoning
Coopers season long pieces of wood, called staves, by air-drying them for one to three years.
Building
After warming staves to make them pliant, coopers bend them to make barrels. “Toasting” the insides with a flame softens the woody flavors.
Fermenting & Aging
Some winemakers ferment their wines in the barrels. Others use barrels for aging, from a few months to several years.
Reusing
Many winemakers fill barrels more than once. The older the barrel, the more subtle the flavors.
Upcycling
Old barrels are sometimes sold to distilleries or breweries. Or, they’re cut in half for their next life as flower planters.
