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Oak Barrel Resources

Surprisingly, this is one of my most popular pages. Locating barrels, especially affordable ones, is tough and hopefully this list will get you started. I try to check this list often to make sure they’re still valid, so if you find a link that doesn’t work, please let me know.

Updated April 9, 2015: It should come as no surprise that some of these companies are no longer in business. Some links have changed (note to web designers: don’t change page addresses unless you have a permanent redirect), so I updated those. For several years, French oak barrels became exorbitant in price due to increased demand and poor U.S. dollar exchange rate. Hopefully, this recent rally of the dollar has helped, if only a little.

Good luck in your search.

Cooperages

Black Swan Cooperage – Based in Minnesota, Black Swan offers sizes from 5 gallon to 53 gallons for wine, spirits or beer, made-to-order. They also sell a barrel alternative called HoneyComb®, which is basically wood staves with holes to improve surface area. Uniquely, they offer other wood varietals besides white oak. There are prices for the HoneyComb®, but no prices online for barrels.

ReCoop – Yikes! Not cheap for a reconditioned barrel. Especially for a smaller one. For a larger 30 gallon barrel, the price is reasonable and ReCoop is probably the only place producing used barrels that come close to new in flavor profiles.

Cooperages 1912 Napa – They appear to represent two coopers, T.W. Boswell and World Cooperage (listed below). They have an online order form, but no information on minimum quantities or prices, unless you go through the order process.

Bouchard Cooperages – They represent several brands including, Canadell, Tonnellerie Billon, Tonnellerie Damy, Master Coopers, Richelieu, and Vicard Tonnelleries. To get their price list online, you’ll need to give them some information. They do sell to home winemakers and their minimum quantity is one barrel. Their FAQs also have a lot of useful information.

1000 Oaks Barrel Co. – If you’re producing spirits or really small batches, this place has a barrel for you. Unfortunately, nothing is over 5 gallons in size.

Vadai Wine Barrels – If you’re okay with using Hungarian Oak, Vadai has many sizes to choose from.  As small as 10 liters to 1,000 liters.  And they’re willing to talk and sell to the home winemaker.

World Cooperage – If you are making larger quantities, this place will actually talk to you.  No sizes less than 50 gallons though.

Tonnellerie Radoux USA – High quality French Oak from 20 liters to 225 liters.  Their distributor is Philippe Michel, and can best be reached by phone at 707-318-0002.

Zemplén Barrels – I just recently checked out their website and it seems to be one of the few who cater to the American market. It seems to be direct from the manufacturer.

Hungarian Oak Barrels, LLCRepresents Kalina Cooper Trade with lots of great information about Hungarian oak barrels and with sizes from 50 to 500 liters and no minimums, they’re ideal for the home winemaker. Their prices are very competitive with other European coopers and I’m told the flavor profiles are very similar to French oak.  You can contact Ms. Csilla Nagy-Prunier by email or by phone at 800-557-9012.

Tonelería Cordobesa – A Spanish cooperage that offers French oak barrels in sizes from 2 liters to 64 liters or more. They ship all over the world.

Okanagan Barrel Works – From 100 liter to 228 liter barrels in French, American and Canadian Oak.  Plus used and reconditioned 225 liter French and American Oak barrels.

Barrel Builders – Carries French Marchive, Hungarian Kadar, and American EBC barrels.  Only larger sizes for most but also some 20 and 30 gallon sizes.  Good luck with getting a response.

Demptos Cooperage – Another cooper that sells mainly larger sizes.

Seguin Moreau – Yet another cooper selling large and larger sizes (225 liter and up).

Winemaking Retailers

OakBarrel Winecraft – Carries small American and French Oak barrels from 5 to 30 gallons.  Not cheap but usually available.

E.C. KrausCarries French Oak barrels in 5, 7.5, 13 and 28 gallon sizes. They only carry Hungarian oak barrels now and geared mainly to the small volume, home winemaker in 10, 6, and 5 gallon sizes. Again, not cheap but usually in stock.

Wineries

Many wineries have a strict barrel regiment and only use their barrels for two years before selling them. Castello di Amorosa and Del Dotto Vineyards comes to mind. You might try calling a local winery to see if they sell their lightly used barrels.

Another alternative is to look for used barrels on Wine Business.com classifieds. I always see lots of listings for used barrels, but they go quickly.

7 Responses
  1. June 3, 2009

    “High quality French Oak from 20 liters to 225 liters. Good luck trying to go through their distributor, Philippe Michel, he doesn’t bother to respond unless you’re buying a large quantity.”

    I am Philippe Michel and I really don’t understand why you wrote such a statement. Did you talk to me? Did someone told you this?

    In over 10 years in the barrel business I always pride myself on serving the one barrel buyer as well as the 100 barrels buyers. And I have many customer who will confirm this.

    I also always return calls within one or two days.

    So please let me know who did complain if anyone, or I would appreciate a correction in your statement.

    At least you must be happy the someone is reading you website!

    Cheers!!

    Philippe

  2. Eric Hwang permalink*
    June 3, 2009

    Phiippe,

    I sent you an email several months ago and never received a response. I prefer to use email so I didn’t bother to call. I will give you the benefit of the doubt since I’m well aware of the shortcomings of emails. Quite possibly you didn’t receive it, for whatever reason, or overlooked it. In any case, my apologies for the disparaging comment. I have changed the statement on the page and I may still need barrels from you in the future.

    -Eric

  3. Philippe Michel permalink
    June 3, 2009

    Thank you Eric!

  4. February 9, 2010

    Hallo!

    I read about your topic: “Kalina Kádárüzem – Hordókészítés, hordó, kádár – Lots of great information about Hungarian Oak barrels, but how do you actually buy one? U.S. distributor is not interested in selling to home winemakers.”

    First of all: I’m very happy you find us! 🙂
    I think you can buy our barrels in US. even if you are home winemakers. We have a storage in NY, so it is available for anyone!
    I attached some picutre of us and our work. I would be very pleased if you say what else should we improve in our english site.

    I’m looking forward to your helping answer!

    Best Greetings from Hungary!

    Marianna Bodnár
    ____________________________________
    “In our Cooperage the barrel is a matter of trust”
    Kalina Coopering Ltd.
    H-3907 Tállya, Kinizsi Street. 23.
    Tel./Fax: 0036 47 398 142 Mobil: 0036 70 386 3755
    E-mail: bodnar.marianna@kadarsag.hu
    http://www.kalinahordo.hu

  5. Eric Hwang permalink*
    February 9, 2010

    Marianna,

    Thank you for the information you provided. I have updated the information on my site. I hope to do a story shortly on coopering and would love your feedback. Thanks,

    Eric

  6. March 30, 2010

    We’re offering the highest quality European (Hungarian Zemplen Oak) barrels.
    Our prices are real factory direct, far the best, lowest in USA.
    http://www.zemplenbarrels.com

  7. June 22, 2010

    WE ARE A SPANISH COOPERAGE, WE MAKE FRENCH OAK BARREL OF DIFERENT SIZES: 2 LITERS, 4 LITERS, 8 LITERS, 16 LITERS, 64 LITERS….
    WE SEND OUR BARREL ALL THE WORLD.
    http://www.tonecor.com

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