Oak is as important to the cooper as grapes are to the winemaker

The barrel as a tool

 

We believe in a simple message: the barrel is an integral part of quality winemaking. While it is never the dominant component, it is an essential one. It is not there to overwhelm the wine, only to share in the creation of traits that help make the wine unique.

 

Trust, trust, and trust — Quality, quality, and quality

 

We exclaim with confidence that a barrel is the essence of trust. The winemaker invests a year’s worth of energy, thoughts, plans, work, money, and time into a product that evolves under the barrel’s influence. It is with this wine that the winemaker hopes to earn praise, build a career, and make a living. Coopers therefore have an obligation to always provide the top quality to their winemaker colleagues. Keeping to this standard, we source the best quality oak and complement it with high-level professional expertise.

 

Multi-generation experience, decades of mastery

 

Already as a toddler I began soaking up knowledge of the craft from my dear father. He began his professional cooper career in 1959 — it’s inscribed on our logo next to the family name. Back then he had me stacking staves.  As a young boy I remember I would regularly trade those wages for ice cream. Throughout the years I remained a conscientious and diligent helper to him. It was a passionate obsession which initiated me into the subtle proficiencies of the trade. Thanks to working alongside my father, I was already an experienced apprentice at the age of 12. Now at the age of 43, I possess 30 years of craftsmanship. I am fortunate to have learned his artisan techniques.  This is a priceless skill set that is becoming rare in today’s international cooperage industry.

Because We give it our name

 

Have you noticed that many international cooperages produce barrels under brand names? We choose to incorporate our family name into our logo. It’s a statement that we are our product. Our work carries the essence of what we represent and who we are. And we are the only owners. Our lives are the stake of this venture. Consequently, we will reliably be here. The personnel shall remain the same. You’ll always be in communication with us.

 

We need to leave a liveable place after us

 

Our processes are sensitive to the environmental needs of our surroundings. We take extreme care with our wood resources by constantly improving the workshop and our methods.

 

Oak

 

We select all the wood  for our barrels from the Zemplén forest. These forests surrounding Tokaj are steep, rocky, and cold. It’s a unique source where we can choose the best wood from trees 80 -100 years old. They are amongst the tightest grain oak in Europe. The Zemplén forest is exceptional in the world as only here does Quercus Petraea grow exclusively in a contiguous area. It is a highly sought after and prized oak thanks to its attractive characteristics and aromatics.

 

This region carries a 1000 year tradition of cooperation between forest management and cooperages. We dry our oak staves for a minimum of 24 months, often for 36. The tight grain, stalkless oak combines high aromatic concentration with low tannin to promote a subtle and complex development in wines—abundant fruit characteristics, tight structure, clean, and intricate bouquet.

The forest has been eco-consciously managed since queen Maria Teresa’s decree in 1769. This obligates long term planning with selective sourcing and systematic replanting.

 

 

We are always here

 

It is our pleasure to host all professional visits to the workshop from people in the trade.

 

A wine-friendly welcome: Kalina Gábor & Bodnár Marianna