Wood Types

Over the years, many different kinds of wood have been used to make small barrels and larger vats and casks. Acacia, cypress, chestnut, ash, redwood, pine, eucalyptus, and poplar are just a few of the woods that have been used.

Chestnut has long been popular for large oval casks in the Rhône, Beaujolais, and in parts of Italy and Portugal, but as this wood offers strong tannins and is also relatively porous, chestnut barrels and tanks are often coated with paraffin or silicone to neutralize the wood. Wines made in unlined new chestnut barrels can be so tannic as to be undrinkable.