Having just returned from an extensive trip visiting several of our customer in the beautiful California wine country, we return to Chicago amazed at the abundance and variety of uses of our stainless steel wine barrels. We were pleased to see our 5 gallon stainless steel wine barrel in use in academic and laboratory settings for experimental wine batches and yeast experimentation. The unique size of the 5 gallon barrel and the stainless steel construction make for a perfect small “blank slate” vessel. We were also lucky enough to sample award winning un-oaked Chardonnay, delicate Pinot Noir and citrusy Sauvignon Blanc all crafted with the use of our stainless steel wine barrels. Having once fallen out of favor with American consumers, the Sauvignon Blanc varietal (sometimes labeled as Fumé Blanc) is making a huge comeback in the United States, along with the use of stainless steel fermentation and aging of this versatile wine. While oak-barrel fermentation is often used for Chardonnay, most Sauvignon Blanc is made using stainless steel barrels and tanks. In the Loire Valley of France, wines made from Sauvignon Blanc, such as Pouilly Fumé and Sancerre, are most often 100% Sauvignon Blanc, unblended and usually made without the use of oak. Besides France and California, Sauvignon Blanc also is produced successfully by New Zealand and South Africa, Chile, Argentina, and, to lesser degrees of production, Washington State, Australia, and Italy, where it is expanding. We are happy to note that our stainless steel wine barrels are in use in each of these countries and states!
Wine