Page 26 - Grapevine May-June 2019
P. 26
In The Winery
Image Credit: Trust Cooperage
hands on to ensure that only quality materials Voicu sources his American white oak, which
are included in our barrel assembly process,” says he calls his foundation, from local mills around
Voicu. “In the final stages, the barrel bending, Virginia, central Pennsylvania, and New York, while
toasting and charring are all accomplished using a sticking to the Carpathian basin and Transylvania
natural wood fire and bellows system. Rounding regions of Romania for his European and Hungarian
out our extreme and traditional craftsmanship oak supply.
qualities is the ability to finish the barrel off with
custom laser engraving.” “Wooden barrels have that ability to breathe and
oxygenate the contents,” says Voicu. “That unique
ability imparts an unmistakable finishing quality in
wines that consumers recognize and appreciate.
Our barrels are suited for all varietals because of
our willingness to use a variety of woods, and their
structural integrity far outlasts the wood’s inherent
finishing capacity, which ultimately led to my pat-
ented wood-stainless hybrid barrel system.”
“Stainless tank and keg systems typically attempt
to shut out the outside atmosphere, where a tra-
ditional wood barrel breathes. This fact is both
blessing and curse,” says Voicu, “as wood barrel
oxygenation promotes the chemical reactions in
maturation and finish those producers want, yet
also threatens longer-storage (vintage) wines with
spoilage. Our stainless-steel hybrid system is a
Image Credit: East Coast Wood Barrels secure, workable, and easy to clean solution which
promotes in-barrel micro-oxygenation through a
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