Welcome to the Barrel Club

The Barrel Club offers oak barrel aging of our premium wines including unique proprietary blends exclusive to Vintner’s Cellar Bedford. When you join the club you will be notified once a barrel becomes available and the varietal or blend selected for aging. There is no cost to join the club and you don't have to participate in every barrel. You can pick and choose which ones to take part in. Each selection will only be available for a limited time up until it is sold out.

Instead of our six week process, the wine requires a longer period of time to age. ​Prices vary depending on the wine selected.

HOW IT WORKS

• The “Barrel Club” combines the orders (1 kit = 30 bottles of wine) of 9 customers to fill a 225L oak barrel.

• 1 order = 1 kit of the same varietal for 30 bottles of wine.

• 9 orders will need to be placed before the barrel can be filled.

• The start date is subject to reaching 9 orders. Once reached customers will be contacted to make payment and for the addition of the yeast as well as an estimated finish date.

• The barrel aging time varies dependent on a couple of factors and additional time will be required after the initial 6-week wine making process.

• Customers will be contacted when the wine is ready. An appointment will be set up and the bottling process will be the same as usual.

Barrel Club Newsletter

Oak barrel aging offers three major contributions to wine

1.    It allows for the gradual ingress of oxygen which is a very slow concentration of the wine as water evaporates through pores in the wood. A process which makes wine taste smoother and less astringent by concentrating its flavours. The oak barrel allows a constant flow of oxygen in low amounts that softens harsh tannins.

2.    It provides a suitable environment for Malolactic Fermentation, a process where the tart malic acid in wine converts to softer, creamier lactic acid giving the wine a fuller and creamier texture. Once the barrels are filled they are motionless which promotes the occurrence of this complex chemical reaction.

3.    Oak wine barrels add flavour as well as aromas to the wine for an opulent, richer impression and complexity, adding flavour compounds such as vanilla, clove, nutmeg, smoke, and coconut.

Also, aging wine in large vessels gives the aging process a head start since wine ages better in large volumes. But the most important things that barrels do for a wine are provide oxygen and stabilization.

We decided to use the popular French oak for our Barrel Club as it tends to add flavor compounds in a more subtle way than the other main types of oak. French oak generates silky and transparent tannins, which transmit a sensation of light sweetness combined with fruity flavors that persist in the mouth. Notes of spices and toasted almond, combined with flavors of ripe red fruit in red wines.