To toast or not to toast, that is the question. No, we aren’t talking barrels in general (those always taste better toasted, trust us), but we are talking barrel heads! There are a lot of ways to customize wine barrels to your exact preference: toast type, toast level, oak species, oak seasoning, and today’s topic – head toasting. Let’s explore the history and chemistry of barrel head toasting. Traditionally, in the times of ships and casks, wine barrel heads were left untoasted. Why? Well, logistically it is extremely difficult to evenly toast a flat piece of wood. French and Eastern European oak were the primary wood species used in premium wine production for a long time and they tasted quite nicely with untoasted heads. No need to change what isn’t broken, right? BARREL HEAD TOASTING ON AN INFRARED EMITTER AT MISSOURI COOPERAGE As winemaking and coopering techniques evolved, toasting the heads became an exploratory question worth pursuing. The qu

Ted Henry Joins Groth as Director of Winegrowing 

OAKVILLE, NAPA VALLEY, Calif. (July 6, 2021) — Ted Henry has been named Director of  Winegrowing at Groth Vineyards & Winery in Oakville, Napa Valley. Henry comes to Groth from Clos  du Val, where he served for over five years, most recently as Director of Winemaking. Prior to that he  was Winemaker at Jarvis Estate, […]