History - History of the wine barrel

History - History of the wine barrel: "History of the traditional oak wine barrel

A wine barrel is a cylindrical container usually made from oak historically used for the storage and transportation of goods. Today barrels are used almost exclusively in the production of fine wines and spirits. The bulge, or bilge, of barrels means that they can be rolled and spun easily, and that, when they are kept horizintal, any sediment naturally collects in one place. This allows for easy removal of the solids from the wine, or racking, during the wine making process.

Barrels come in many sizes and qualities although the term barrel is conventionally used for a wooden container small enough to be moved. Although Herodotus refers to palm-wood casks being used to carry Armenian wine to Babylon in Mesopotamia, it is generally accepted that it was the iron age communities of Northern Europe, notably the Celts, who developed the wooden barrel for large transport of goods."