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WINERY option for both staves and heads, with stave toasting the more com- mon practice. Burton said barrels most com- monly shaved and re-toasted are 3- to 5-year-old French oak "export" barrels with 27 mm-thick staves. "If we can shave in the range of one-eighth of an inch to three-six- teenths of an inch, it's enough of a balance between exposing new wood for oak extraction and main- taining the structural integrity of the barrel." Barrel Builders is one of the more affordable reconditioning options, with costs for shaving and toasting at its St. Helena shop running from $110-$120 per barrel depending on quantity. A crew of two coopers can process approximately 30 barrels per day. "If you can get two more years of use for $100 a barrel, that's about as good a deal as you can expect," Burton said. Thin-stave, 22 mm-thick barrels can sometimes be shaved if wine penetration is not too deep, but they can be more prone to leakage and stacking problems. "The wine penetration in the wood and the depth of extraction increases with the barrel's age," Burton said. Shav- ing older barrels can remove poten- tial contaminants such as VA and Brett, but not necessarily all wine- penetrated wood. In such cases, re- toasting would not be advised, as it can create "cooked sherry charac- ters," according to Burton. ReCoop of Sebastopol, Calif., has reconditioned more than 250,000 barrels since 1989. All bar- rels are inspected prior to begin- ning work. Director of Operations Lori Marie Adams said, "ReCoop uses a calibrated planing machine that removes one-quarter inch of the wine-saturated wood with the grain and no cross-cutting. This allows the wood to reach optimal toasting and oxygenation benefits." Toast levels available range from medium-minus to heavy, using computer-controlled infrared toast- ing or traditional fire-toasting. Each head also gets a calibrated planing and has the same toasting options as with stave wood. "Levels of toasting are to the winemaker's preference, since we are able to target flavor profiles," Adams said. ReCoop charges $180 per barrel, or $160 per barrel for quantities of 31 or more barrels. HIGH-TECH RECONDITIONING The Phoenix barrel rejuvenation system by Diverse Barrel Solutions (DBS) of Australia began operation in 2008, using computer technol- ogy and robotics to better control the reconditioning process. "Our goal is to convert red-wine bar- rels to white-wine barrels using the Phoenix process," said DBS managing director Nick Wickham. Three Phoenix equipment units are in service: the original unit in Aus- tralia, one in New Zealand and the Synchronizing Wood with Wine Orion is an artisan cooperage in partnership with Franck Monteau and Christophe Garcia, producing exceptional French oak barrels from the finest wood provenances. Nutritional supplements and MLF cultures, and oenological tannins. Offering a range of products, the result of extensive experience in the wine industry, that optimize the key processes in quality winemaking. Promotes color stability. BAYARD FOX SELECTIONS Contact: WWW.VWM-ONLINE.COM NOV - DEC 2012 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT 73 NEW!