Oak wine barrel with a capacity of 200 liters.

Raw Material

The barrel is exclusively made of oak wood, as the combination of wine with oak makes the barrel an irreplaceable work tool for the production of quality wines. The wood is sourced from forests in the Balkans and Central Europe.

The characteristics of oak from these regions are that they have small and dense pores. This means that their effect on the wine is slow and long-lasting, contributing to its proper aging. The selection of oak tree trunks is done personally by us, as the choice of excellent raw material yields the desired result, namely the creation of barrels with excellent construction specifications.

The oak trunks are split into smaller pieces that need to naturally release their moisture. Therefore, the most important stage in the construction of wooden barrels is the natural drying of the wood, which requires a period of two years. The final moisture content of the wood must reach the desired percentage before any further processing.

Barrel Construction

Many stages are required in the production of the barrel. The selection of the raw material and the natural drying of the wood are certainly the most important parts of this process. From carefully selected woods, staves are created, which are the pieces of wood that make up a barrel.

The staves are vertically placed through hoops to form the shape of an open rose. Then, through prolonged heating with fire from oak wood, the staves gradually bend, resulting in the barrel taking its final shape.

Next, the heads are placed on the barrel, fitting into the specially created notches. Finally, the barrel is externally smoothed and additional galvanized hoops are applied.

Barrel Toasting

Toasting is a crucial stage in the production of high-quality barrels. Initially, it was used to bend the staves of the barrel and create its shape. However, the aromas that harmoniously develop from this process were soon discovered, making toasting serve not only a mechanical purpose.

This process increases the wood's absorbency, making it permeable to air and improving the sensory characteristics of the wine. At the same time, aromatic elements develop between the wood and the wine, creating the desired balance of flavors. The toasting of the barrel depends on both time and intensity of heat.

Barrel Use & Maintenance Instructions

Preparing a new barrel involves filling it with cold water, which should be changed daily. This process is recommended to be done two to three times and not more than three days.

Then, after ensuring that the barrel is watertight (i.e., no leakage is observed), it is emptied and left to drain well, with the barrel's hole facing downwards. The barrel is then filled with must or wine. If the barrel shows any leakage, it is left to dry for 6-8 hours and the above process is repeated. After the wine is finished from the barrel, we rinse it with warm water and let it dry. 

Then it is good for the barrel to be sulphured and remain in a shady place until it is reused. When it is reused, we check the staves of the barrel and repeat the preparation process. A few hours before the must or wine is added, it is good to sulphur it.