Making Wine Barrels in the Okanagan Valley

Cal Craik believes that the barrels made by Okanagan Barrel Works are as good as any — that's why he issued a challenge.

Seven cooperages, including Okanagan Barrel Works, participated in the International Barrel Challenge. Each cooperate submitted one American oak barrel and wine was aged for 12 months in the barrels, which were then judged for oak impact. Jackson Triggs provided a single block cabernet sauvignon for aging and judged the barrels after 12 months.

Okanagan Barrel Works has been making barrels since 2004 and repairing and selling barrels since 1998. In 2007, they hired a French Master Cooper, Eric Fourthon, and currently produce French, American, Hungarian and Acacian oak barrels. They also produce oak tanks and fermenters and believe that they are the only company in North America to make tanks and fermenters for the wine industry.

"We'll make barrels out of almost anything, as long as it's good for the oak," says Craik.

He estimates that 65-75% of the barrels they produce are made from American oak and 35-40% are from French oak. American oak produces denser barrels with high vanillin.

According to Craik, the essentials for a good barrel are good wood, proper seasoning and proper toasting.

To season the wood, it must lie as a log for 6 months, after which it is cut into blanks (staves) and stacked for 24 to 26 months to allow air flow. During this period, the heavier tannins are washed out of the wood and the wood becomes more stable. The wood must have only 12-14% moisture in order to make a barrel. The wood is put through a kiln to stabilize the moisture, or else the barrel will leak.

After the staves are joined and the barrel is raised, the barrel is toasted. Toasting allows the barrel components to adjust, the sugars to caramelize and the tannins to break down. Toasting extracts the flavour components from the wood.

Okanagan Barrel Works employs three full-time coopers, a Master Cooper and a student. Craig estimates that each man makes three and a half barrels per day.

Sesquin Moreau came in first place at the International Barrel Challenge, followed by Okanagan Barrel Works. Tonnellerie Radoux USA came third place and Demptos Napa and A&K Cooperage tied for fourth place. Canadian Oak Cooperage and Carriage House Cooperage came in fifth and sixth place.

Craik says that he hopes there will be another barrel challenge and that Sequin Moreau will choose the barrel and the wine and host the competition. In the mean time, Okanagan Barrel Works is building six 7700 litre oak tanks for Tawse Winery, the Canadian of winery of the year, and continuing to supply Canada's wine industry with quality barrels.

Photos courtesy of Cal Craik/Okanagan Barrel Works.