Concrete barrel

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Containers made of this material are used as an alternative to wood or steel for the fermentation and storage of wines. Conventional concrete tanks are usually lined on the inside with glass tiles or stainless steel sheets, more rarely with plastic or painted. The advantages are optimal use of space, flexible volumes and low shrinkage. Since the mid-1990s, experiments with egg-shaped concrete containers have been carried out, beginning in France and then in Spain and now also in Germany. In the German winegrowing region of Franconia, some winegrowers are using such "concrete eggs" with a volume of 900 litres.

Betonfässer

As with wooden barrels, there is little contact with oxygen, which can be compared to micro-oxygenation. In order to prevent the acidic wine from reacting with the cement surface, the containers are treated several times with tartar paste inside before filling. Compared to wood, a possibly undesirable wood tone(toast aroma) is avoided. Due to its unusual shape, the wine is constantly in circulation; there is no blind spot. The wines matured in it are said to have more intense aromas. Similar results are obtained with containers made of granite. Such containers are often used for Orange Wines. See also under fermentation tanks.

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Concrete barrel

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