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BARRELS Duxoup Wine Works is one West Coast example, but some random web searches nailed more hits for East Coast wineries, particularly in the Finger Lakes and Virginia. Most wineries—however, even those that happily use these barrels—don't say much about them. What we have here is a status gap. In Napa, says Knox, purveyors of fancy, high-priced wines are happy to spring for French wood, whatever it costs, because it complements their upscale image. But for the other 99%, where wine needs to be sold on the basis of a good story or a unique twist, flaunting unconventional or adventurous oak choices would seem like a good idea. The halo surrounding French oak is particularly ironic since, Hungarian oak advocates argue that poor soil quality in some forest areas leads to the slow growth and tighter grain prized in wine barrels. up until the early 20th century, French winemakers were known to have a preference for Hungarian barrels. Demand in France remains strong; Bouchard's Chappell says this is "due to history, which the French are aware of. The U.S. is such a nascent market; we're enamored of things French, since they've done it for so long." James Molnar, president of Trust (no relation to Peter Molnar of Kadar), says they have a big market share in Burgundy. "In Europe," says Vadai of Vadai Barrels, one of the independent importers, "the Zemplén forest is well known; in the U.S., it is absolutely unknown." With Vadai barrels available in 40 states, that may be changing. Tim Patterson is the author of "Home Winemaking for Dummies." TonnellerieGaronnaise_Feb09.qxp 1/8/09 11:00 AM Page 1 He writes about wine and makes his own in Berkeley, Calif. Years of experience as a journalist, combined with a contrarian streak, make him interested in getting to the bottom of wine stories, casting a critical eye on conventional wisdom in the process. To comment on this article, e-mail edit@winesandvines.com. Wines & Vines FeBRUARY 2012 39 KALINA COOPER TRADE