French term for tonne or barrel, from which the term tonnellerie (cooperage), which is commonly used internationally today, is also derived. In the Middle Ages, tonneau was a frequently used type of barrel in France with a volume of 900 litres, which is mentioned in many old writings in connection with wine. It corresponded to the English tun (clay). Tonneau was also a ship's measure, comparable to today's gross register tonnes.
The barrel was too large to be transported by ship, so it was divided into two douils of 450 litres each or four oxhofts of 225 litres each. Today, the tonneau (or batch in the Médoc) is usually used as the unit of measurement, which also corresponds to 100 cases or 1,200 bottles of wine. However, there are tonnelleries (barrel manufacturers) that produce barrels of various sizes under this designation. The picture on the left shows a tonneau barrel with a volume of 500 litres, while the picture on the right shows a barrique barrel. See also under barrel types and hollow sizes.
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Roman Horvath MW
Domäne Wachau (Wachau)