European Coopers is one of Hungary's three principal cooperages and is proud of European Coopersremaining independent since its establishment two decades ago.

After opening its markets and becoming part of the EU in 2004, there has been a resurgence in demand for Hungarian oak on the international wine scene. European Coopers produces premium Hungarian oak barrels that are everything you would expect from a quality driven artisan Cooper.

With over forty years of experience, Master Cooper Kristof Floding has been at the heart of European Coopers since day one in 1997. Kristof and his team control the entire process in house, from sourcing and selecting the logs, seasoning the staves, to producing and finishing the barrels.

European Coopers has first rights for sourcing tight grained Quercus Patraea logs from Hungary’s best forests: the Tokaj Mountains and Mecsek Hills located next to the Tokaj and Villány wine regions.

European Coopers is committed to using 100% premium Hungarian oak—no additional oak is sourced from neighboring Easter European countries. The staves are air dried for 36 months, fire bent and toasted over oak fires from the same oak. Stylistically the barrels lift and showcase the fruit, and soften and add length to the palate. In terms of power, they are slightly lower in impact than their French cousins. The barrels bring characters ranging from fresh bread, oats, and brown sugar through to roasted nuts, honey and caramel, depending on toasting levels.

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