Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/776679
34 WINES&VINES February 2017 BARRELS W hile the most vital element of working with barrels is find- ing coopers that can provide the wood, toast and style that best matches your wine, the work doesn't end there. To protect a winery's significant investment, barrels need to be properly stored and maintained to maximize the life of the oak. And as a barrel program grows to include hun- dreds or thousands of barrels ranging from new vessels waiting to be filled to old, neutral barrels that need to be sold, a good inventory-management system is also crucial. Wines & Vines spoke with winemakers who manage large barrel programs to see how they do it. All used winemaking software with barrel-inventory management functions and said they were meticulous in how they clean and store their barrels. San Antonio Winery Los Angeles, Calif. San Antonio Winery is located in Los Angeles, Calif., and has made wine since 1917. In recent years, the family- owned company has made a significant investment buying land and developing vineyards in the Paso Robles AVA. The winery produces more than 500,000 cases under many different brands each year. Winemaker Anthony Riboli, whose family owns the winery, said they had been buying grapes from the Paso Robles area since the 1970s. The family also owns vineyards in California's Monterey and Napa counties, and two years ago they planted on land they had purchased near Paso Robles, Calif. "We feel Paso is going to be the next big area, especially for Bordeaux varieties," he said. As the company has transitioned to the estate model, Riboli said they also knew they wanted to build a winery. Completed in 2016, the facility in Paso Robles includes a 50,000-square-foot barrel room. The building is a simple structure, but Riboli said it's well insulated and has a Managing Barrel Inventory and Investment By Andrew Adams How to keep track of and protect your oak barrels for multiple vintages JIMMY HAYES PHOTOGRAPHY / LARKMEAD VINEYARDS