In ancient times, various types of wood such as acacia, eucalyptus, chestnut, cherry, palm, pine and cedar were used to make wine vessels of all kinds. Wooden barrels were hardly known in ancient Greece, but the historian Herodotus (482-425 B.C.) reports that they were made from palm wood in the city of Babylon. The Celts were probably already using wooden barrels for transport two to one thousand years before the Common Era. This skill was then adopted by the Romans.

The most suitable type of wood for making wooden barrels for winegrowing is oak. It is one of the hardest woods, is tough, very durable and also easy to work with. In addition, the type of ring-shaped pores prevents liquids from passing through the wood. This is ideal for the construction of all kinds of containers, especially barrels. Oak wood has a natural affinity for wine. This was recognised early on in France and has been used for centuries for the barrique type of barrel created in Bordeaux.
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The glossary is a monumental achievement and one of the most important contributions to wine knowledge. Of all the encyclopaedias I use on the subject of wine, it is by far the most important. That was the case ten years ago and it hasn't changed since.
Andreas Essl
Autor, Modena