Olivier Prost
 
March 19, 2015 | Olivier Prost

Barriques, tonneaux ou fûts?

Besides witnessing the pure magic of yeasts and different micro-organisms transforming grapes into a wine that can age for decades, what fascinates me the most about my job is my work with barrels. They are rough and simple in their conception yet extremely sophisticated at the same time. Manufacturing a barrel is very artisanal and cannot be mass produced with machines. Only a human being, using all his skills and all his senses, can bend the staves, toast and put together the different pieces to craft a barrel. No matter how consistent a barrel producer is trying to be, every single barrel will be different from one another.

Barrels, as we know them today, most likely originated with the Celtics more than 2,000 years ago. Gauls and Romans developed barrels as a reliable and efficient way to ship wine across Europe. Oak became the main wood used to make barrels. It is a soft type of wood and therefore easier to bend. It was also abundant in the forests of Europe and its tight grain offered a waterproof storage solution. Overtime, people dealing with wines stored in barrels discovered the positive effects that oak had on the wine and thus began the practice of aging wine in a barrel.

Now days, barrels found in a winery are mainly made in France from oak trees grown there. Barrels made in the USA and Hungary, for example, are available as well. While visiting a winery in Argentina, I even came across a couple of barrels made in China.

When a winemaker has to purchase a barrel, here are the criteria he has to choose from:

  1. Cooper
  2. Country of origin
  3. Type of wood
  4. Shape and volume (Burgundy 228 liters, Bordeaux 225 liters or Cognac 300 liters)
  5. Forest (Allier, Vosges and Tronçais are the main growing regions)
  6. Level of toast for the inside of the staves and the heads
  7. Number of years the oak was left to dry before being used

All of these will have a profound impact on the wine produced.

So every time I roll an empty barrel, place it neatly on a stillage and fill it with wine it reminds me that, even if we have modern tools, winemaking is still very much craftsmanship.

Time Posted: Mar 19, 2015 at 2:09 PM Permalink to Barriques, tonneaux ou fûts? Permalink
REX HILL
 
March 13, 2015 | REX HILL

Counting sheep at the Jacob-Hart Estate Vineyard

One hundred sheep joined our vineyard crew this spring to pitch in and graze the cover crop at our certified Biodynamic, estate vineyard, Jacob-Hart. They save on tractor work and naturally fertilize the vineyard but move on in the next few weeks as budbreak gets closer.

 

Time Posted: Mar 13, 2015 at 5:07 PM Permalink to Counting sheep at the Jacob-Hart Estate Vineyard Permalink
 

The Tasting Room will be closed on Thursday, November 3rd for our annual hospitality summit. We will reopen on Friday, November 4th from 11am-5pm.

 

The health and safety of our customers and staff are our primary concern as restrictions on our county are relaxed. We are currently assessing how we will again open to the public in a safe and healthy way and will continue to post updates on our website as our plans solidify.

 

In the meantime, we are still able to take your calls, answer emails, and pack wine to deliver to your door. To arrange a wine delivery, please reach out to Jamie, our Wine Club Manager at jamie@rexhill.com. 

 

Stay well. We look forward to seeing you again before too long for a toast!

 

The REX HILL team