The California wine culture is respected internationally as a significant contributor to fine-wine production. In order to gain further knowledge about our wine customers and the numerous ways in which they use our stainless steel wine barrels, Dean Ricker and I, Wine Barrel Specialists at Skolnik, recently spent an educational and hands-on week by visiting many of the wineries in Northern California. The timing was perfect as the wineries were gearing up for their busy season. The week proved to be very enlightening and we came away with a broader knowledge and appreciation for the art of winemaking. Visiting a new region of the US, it is hard for me to say what was more enjoyable, seeing our wine barrels in use and tasting the wine at these amazing wineries, or tasting the burgers and shakes at Taylor’s Refresher in Napa (highly recommended!). We would like to give special thanks to some of our hosts including, Walter Sylwesiuk at Franciscan Winery, Joe Ramirez at Silver Oak Cellars, Greg Allen at Dolce Winery, David Akiyoshi at Lange Twins Winery & Vineyards, George Phelan at Dunnewood Vineyards, and David Everett at Las Positas College. Our winemaking knowledge has further increased and we are proud that our stainless steel barrels are becoming a mainstay of the California winemaking culture.
Wine