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w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m M a r - A p r 2 014 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 7 1 formation of the cap and the effi- cacy of punchdown and pumpover. BEYOND CURIOSITY Jason Moulton, an associate winemaker at Brassfield Estate in Lake County, Calif., said he isn't sure being able to see into a fer- mentation would do much more than satisfy winemaker curiosity. Seeing the turbidity of the must would help him better determine what valve would yield clear juice for pumpover, he said, but most of what he needs to know he can find out from testing. "Transparent staves are interest- ing and fascinating from an aesthet- ic and educational perspective," Moulton said. "Having the ability to see into a tank isn't something I'd consider critical to a winemaker or to wine quality." Hansen said hospitality played into Mouton's plan with its cel- lar renovation and agreed that the stave option is not for everybody. LESS-OAKY OAK Cooperage 1912 of Napa Valley recognized the increase in cool- climate wine production and the conundrum faced by its makers: They want the influence of barrels but hesitate to put juice with beauti- ful varietal character and zingy acidi- ty into vessels that could flatten the fruit and shave down the acids. "Cool-climate wines tend to be very fruit-focused, with higher acidity and delicate overall tasting notes," said Cooperage 1912 sales director Jason Stout. In response, the company added a Cool Climate series to its T.W. Boswell line of barrels, for wine- makers who want all the benefits of oak barrels – micro-oxygenation, polymerization of tannins, wine- making tradition – but with less obvious wood character. The barrels, set to debut at the 2014 Unified Wine & Grape Sym- posium, are made with extra-fine- grain French oak which Boswell grades by scanning growth rings. The wood is dried for 36 months before being coopered into what the company calls "low-impact" barrels. The Cool Climate line includes three different options, each designed for a different set of varieties. David Falchek is a regular con- tributor to trade publications such as Vineyard & Winery Manage- ment and Beverage Media. He also writes a regular consumer wine column for The Scranton Times-Tri- bune, in Scranton, Pa. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com.