Missouri coopers have a big impact on the world’s wine industry

Although nearly any type of wood can be made into a barrel, for purposes of winemaking there is really no substitute for white oak or, more correctly, Quercus alba (American oak, primarily from the Midwest) and Quercus robur (English oak, primarily from France). Wine is often made in stainless steel, plastic, concrete (which may also be glass-lined) or even large redwood tanks, but none of these have the character-building ability of oak. Oak breathes ever so slightly, allowing minuscule amounts of air to enter the barrel as a similar amount of wine evaporates slowly through the wood. Barrels must regularly be “topped off,” eliminating the chance of large amounts of air oxidizing – and therefore ruining – the wine. The amount of wine (or bourbon or Scotch) that passes through the wood is referred to as “the angel’s share.” I have always been an admirer of the beauty of wine barrels and of how a tree can be gradually transformed by an artisan into a home in which wine can mature – a true work of art. Many of our most common family names came from vocations. If you were a blacksmith, your name became Smith; if you made bread, you were Baker. And if you produced wooden barrels, your name would be Cooper. Today, coopers in Missouri are producing many of the high-quality oak barrels for the ever-expanding worldwide wine market. The history of the modern wine barrel really parallels the history of winemaking. Although wine has been around for thousands of years, early winemaking was done mostly in clay pots. As the technology of shipbuilding advanced, the same watertight bentwood craftsmanship was adapted to produce containers. Most important for wine-lovers, the wine barrel was put into widespread use by the Romans to transport wine within their empire. While barrels were initially strictly a means to transport liquid, it was discovered that a pleasing character was imparted to the wine stored inside. There are many flavors, like vanilla, that white oak imparts to its contents. The task of the cooper is to use the right type of oak and transform it into a device for adding character to wine. American oak tends to have a more pronounced, stronger flavor component, which many winemakers traditionally did not like as much as the more elegant and subtle flavors of European oak. American oak was used most often for complex, full-bodied reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon, which had enough depth and body to stand up to the intensity of the oak. European oak was often used for the softer flavors of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. But it has been discovered that the stronger American oak flavor is drastically reduced when barrel-making methods similar to those used in Europe are adopted (for example, air-drying the wood for 24 months or longer; some American oak was kiln-dried or even air-dried for much shorter periods of time). New oak barrels impart the most flavor, and the intensity of that flavor reduces with each use – similar to a tea bag: The first cup of tea has much more flavor than the second. A barrel used two, three or more years gives less and less recognizable oak flavor, but older oak still imparts softness, roundness and texture to the mouth feel of the wine, so even flavorless five-year-old barrels can still bring something to the wine. Missouri white oak has long been a component of some of California’s most famous red wines. It was always relatively simple to recognize a Cabernet Sauvignon from Silver Oak Cellars or Beaulieu Vineyard due to their extensive use of Missouri oak, with its vanilla sweetness and touch of dill in its aroma. Silver Oak, one of the superstar wineries in Napa Valley, has so much commitment to Missouri white oak that it purchased half of A & K Cooperage, located in Higbee, in 2000. A & K has been producing superb barrels since 1972 and sells about 3,000 of the 5,000 barrels it makes annually to Silver Oak. If A & K appears to be a small, boutique, even quaint local business, at the other end of the spectrum is the world’s largest barrel factory, World Cooperage, located off Interstate 44 in Lebanon, Mo. Still owned by the Boswell family (T. W. Boswell founded its parent operation, Independent Stave Co., in 1912), it is multinational, owning forests and cooperages in France and Bulgaria. When you are driving in the Lebanon area, schedule enough time to make a stop and tour this amazing facility. Not only can you see the process of producing oak barrels, but you can also enjoy the extensive retail store, Barrels of Fun, which features wines and spirits from around the world that are made and aged in World Cooperage’s barrels. The cost of an oak barrel is a major factor in the final price of the wine. For wine, the standard barrel is 225 liters, about 59 gallons or 300 bottles. Top-quality Missouri white oak barrels are close to $300 each, while a Missouri-made, French-grown European oak barrel is $600 or more. Barrels made from Eastern European-grown oak are in between, and French-grown oak barrels made in France cost even more. Because oak is a major expense in winemaking, some winemakers are turning to oak-based alternatives like tank staves, barrel inserts, chips and powders. Often these can be tailored to add specific components to wines; staves can even be infused with flavors like spice and mocha. To meet this demand, last year World Cooperage’s oak alternative products were separated into a new division called Oak Solutions Group. As the technology improves and the differences between Missouri and European oak are minimized, the consumer benefits. As our Missouri wine industry grows, the demand for Missouri oak will only increase, another great reason to support our local wineries.