Well, it is that time of year again—new barrel shipments are arriving in shipping containers from France and one way or another find their way to wineries across America.  I have my barrels shipped this time of the year because I get a discount for receiving them early (ie, before harvest) and also because I want the assurance of having them in the winery before harvest starts.  Why?  In 2004, there were many big storms out on the Atlantic, and when there are big storms, there are big waves that make even large container ships rock and roll.  Containers sometimes fall overboard and sink, and that year the grapes were early and the barrels were, well either nonexistent (because they were at the bottom of the ocean)or really late…..you probably see where I’m headed with this. Since that time, I take the precaution of ordering and receiving early.

Anyway, most folks probably haven’t been given a reason to examine the “life” of a barrel.  So, here’s a little summary:

1.  a tree is chosen in a managed forest (either in Europe or North America) and is cut down.  The wood is either hand-split or sawn, and the staves formed from this wood, and then kept in a yard to season (usually and preferably outside in the elements) for at least 2 years.  The type of wood used in wine barrels is oak, and must be a fine, straight grain to use in barrels.  This kind of wood is also in demand for furniture, so this quality of wood tends to fetch top dollar.

2.  After seasoning, the barrel is created by hand from staves and heads (either end of the barrel) and galvanized steel bands.  The staves are cut and formed in such a way so the cooper can put them together using only the bands to keep it all in place (a miraculous feat in and of itself and a skill that takes many years to develop).  The curves in a barrel are formed with heat from either an open fire and/or steam.  After the staves are put in place and the barrel is shaped, the inside of the barrel is toasted—either over an open fire, in an oven, or by some other method—to the customer’s requirements.  The barrel is then finished, the bung hole drilled, branded, and packaged to protect it during shipping.

3.  Once finished, the barrel is then shipped.  Barrels made of European wood that are crafted in Europe are placed in shipping containers, then on ships, and are sent to North America.  The journey takes many weeks and can be quite tumultuous.  If the barrels are made in North America, then the journey is obviously much shorter and less dramatic.

4.  For the ships that dock in California (either Oakland or somewhere in LA), the containers must clear customs, and then a shipping company brings them to their warehouse and arranges shipping to the winery.

5.  At the winery, they are taken off of the trucks and stored until harvest.  The environment in the winery must be humid enough so that the staves in a barrel don’t shrink too much and cause the barrel to leak. Before filling, the barrel is soaked with water overnight to clean it of any char or debris, take out some of the initial bbq-like harshness, to help the staves swell, and also to ensure that the barrel will hold liquid without leaking.

 6.  After that, the barrel is used for many years.  New oak flavor is strongest the first year, but flavor can be derived for a number of years after that.  The life of a barrel for wine, though, is limited.  Some large wineries might use their barrels for more than 10 years, but most wineries I know of use their barrels for a maximum of 6 years.  After that, the noble barrel is then retired from use in the winery and then becomes the ubiquitous planter, pond, or, alas, summer b-b-q fuel…......

This entry was posted on Monday, June 12th, 2006 at 3:30 pm and is filed under Winemaking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.