Page 28 - Grapevine May-June 2019

In The Winery

quality, thickness and general condition. We also barrels to make sure the flavor profile is consistent.
look at the winery’s practices as to how they store The more bells and whistles you want your wine to
and maintain their barrels while using them. We’ve possess, the more oak power you need in a barrel.
also learned that some cooperages don’t do well Less oak forward barrel aging and fermenting will
being toasted a second time. It’s an overall qualifi- give you a wine that’s more fruit forward. You need
cation process.” to find a balance that fits your needs.”

Because there are no standards or rules for dis- All of Gainey’s red wines are barrel aged, needing
closing the use of reconditioned barrels, Adams the flavor and structure that comes from the slow
says that typically large production wineries will not exchange of oxygen in a wood barrel. It results in
reveal that they are using reconditioned barrels. smoother tasting wine. Some of their white vari-
The medium and smaller producers, however, are etals prefer the neutrality of flavor that happens
generally eager to let the community and their cus- with stainless steel tanks. The tanks are airtight,
tomers know that they are sustainable. with no chance of interacting with light or addition-
al aromatics. These wines tend to be more faithful
“We don’t keep our reconditioned barrels long to the natural refreshing fruit essence of the wine.
term,” says Adams. “We keep our product moving However, Falcone says that even these wines can
to ensure freshness and maximum usability. With be run through an older wooden barrel for a couple
a quality reconditioned barrel, you’ll get another of weeks before finishing in stainless steel.
two years of oak extraction out of it. Thereafter,
depending on how the customer maintains their “The key is keeping these barrels consistent and
barrels, it can be used as neutral once again. It’s serviceable,” says Falcone. “It’s important to stay
just another way to save costs.” on a routine. We keep them in cold storage and
every six to eight weeks we give them a quick rinse
ReCoop is the second oldest manufacturer of to keep them fresh and swollen and then gas them.
reconditioned oak barrels, large and small, and
Adams believes that the future is only going to get Routine and consistency are also crucial to Silver
better. Oak Winery in both Napa Valley and Alexander
Valley, California. They use only American white
“We have paid our dues, and now have some of oak and French oak, so it’s critical they have a
the best winemakers in the world currently using reliable, consistent barrel supplier to meet the
our barrels,” Adams says. “I believe using recondi- demands of the award-winning vintner.
tioned barrels is the future.”
“We use, at least, ninety-year-old American and
Views From The Vineyard French oak for our barrels,” says Vanessa Hart,
Enologist at Silver Oak. “It has the straightest grain
John Falcone, General Manager and Director of with the least number of knots. Surprisingly, very
Winemaking at Gainey Vineyards in Santa Ynez, little of the wood is used for barrel staves. It’s
California, uses both wood and stainless in his only the wood that starts six to eight inches above
winemaking, sometimes for the same wine. He ground up to the first branches.”
replaces a percentage of his older, retired barrels
each year, and says his key to producing great “American oak has more potential for stronger
wines year after year is consistency in the barrels. flavor and aromatics when compared to French
oak, so that goes into the decision on what type of
“The whole point is to find a barrel signature that barrel we use for each wine,” says Nate Weis, Vice
fits the style of wine you want to put out, and then President of wine growing at Silver Oak. “American
practice consistency. Our barrel lifespan is about oak trees are grown in roughly thirty states now
six to seven years, transitioning to different wine and are subject to the same variances in their life
varietals throughout that time. There are many bar- as grapevines are, meaning the ground they are
rel producers out there, and they all have a story grown on, the landscape, climate, and nutritional
about their wood origins, but sometimes even they availability. Where they are grown matters, so rou-
are wrong about the source of their supplies, so tine tastings are a must to keep a consistent prod-
it’s important to constantly taste from your new uct.”
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