The Art Of Elevage Casks And The Taste Of Wine

Wines Aged In Oak The Shape And Size Of The Cask The Age Of The Cask How Casks Are Made Caring For Casks

A cask should, ideally, never be left empty: when full of wine the wood expands and leaks are cured. Empty casks must be scoured out with water before use, and disinfected with sulphur dioxide.

Old casks and vats can be "refreshed" by chipping the tartrate crystals from the inside. Sometimes casks are taken apart, the oak staves shaved, and re-built. This provides a new oak surface that mimics to some extent the properties of a new cask.