how a wine barrel is made

A short film by wine-pages.com made in the cooperage of Louis Latour in Burgundy. The video was shot on my phone on an unscheduled visit, so doesn’t claim to be absolutely comprehensive. One important stage that is missing is the fitting of the head and bottom pieces. Once the barrel is assembled, a slot is cut round the inside of the top of the barrel. Steel rings at the top are removed to loosen the staves, and the head piece – whose circumference is slightly bigger than the inner circumference of the barrel, is slid down and located in the slot. The rings are then replaces to squeeze the barrel staves together and securely grip the head piece. Then the same is done for the bottom.