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TE CHNOL OG Y Making Old Barrels 'New' reconditioning methods By Andrew Adams s winemaker Jason De Loach plans for the upcoming harvest, one decision he'll make is not just how many new barrels he wants to buy, but how many old bar- rels he wants to renew. De Loach, winemaker at Hook & Ladder Winery, in Santa Rosa, Calif., said he's had old barrels recon- ditioned at the Sonoma County business ReCoop, and he plans to do so again this year. "It is a great way to get the new oak we need at a great price." A Many winemakers have found that by using barrel recondi- tioning (or shaving out the top layer of wood inside a barrel), they can lower barrel costs while still hitting their desired level of new oak flavor. Several companies offer the option of shaving barrels, and one even renews barrels through a blast of dry ice. A few experts, however, raise concerns about reconditioned barrels exhibiting "off" flavors due to the re-toasting process or saying they may lose structural integrity. View video in the Wines & Vines Digital Edition. Phil Burton, owner of Barrel Builders in St. Helena, Calif., discusses shaving the interior of old wine barrels so they can be used once more. Phil Burton, owner of Barrel Builders Inc., located in St. Helena, ReCoop of Sonoma County, Calif., reconditions used oak barrels using a shaving mechanism (above) that can remove 1/4-, 3/8- or 5/8-inches, depending on the condition of the barrel. 44 Wines & Vines JULY 2012 Calif., said his company was the first to offer barrel-shaving ser- vices. He said the technique is good for smaller wineries looking to reduce new barrel costs or to extend the lives of their barrels. Burton joined the company in 1975, when shaving a barrel cost $19.95 and most were former whiskey barrels. Burton said that at one time Barrel Builders had two shaving rigs and two crews, one of which would shave barrels on-site. Burton said he traveled through Oregon, Washington, Texas, the East Coast and even to Israel, where he spent a month shaving barrels in the Go- lan Heights. "That was one of my odder life experiences," Burton said after a reflective pause. He said to be reconditioned, barrels need to be five years old at the most and still be clean and in good condition. The technique is best for barrels with "export" staves that are 27mm thick. For $115, Barrel Builders will remove about 3/16 of an inch of saturated wood, but Burton said that's not deep enough to remove all of the old wine. "The big bug about shaving is when you toast, because obviously anything that's left in the wood gets toasted too," he told Wines & Vines. The pros and cons of various