The four new oak barrels we ordered arrived this week! Thanks so much to our dear friends at Alexana Winery for helping coordinate our order.
Most wines are aged in a combination of new barrels and “used” barrels of varying ages. In our case, we will be using one new and two used barrels for each ton of grapes we’re bringing in. French oak is nearly exclusively used for aging pinot noir, and for this year we have selected three coopers (barrel makers) based on their flavor profiles and ability to add structure and body to our wines.
Under Winery Dog Moxie’s watchful eyes (and ears), Dave numbered these barrels so that we can track their usage over time and determine when they need to be replaced.
(Dave was glad to have found a use for the remaining touch-up paint from his old Acura!). Once the paint dries, we’ll take the barrels over to our production facility and they will join the used barrels already on site.
- Moxie inspects the new French oak barrels.
- We ordered barrels from three different cooperages. Here’s one…
- Here’s a second…
- The Four French Barrels, waiting patiently for their future contents.