"Jim Elbrecht" > ha scritto nel messaggio
"Giusi" >
> wrote:

>>I think you have an exaggerated idea of how much American wine is made in
>>wooden barrels. As to why it is expensive, dunno. Ask them!
>>
>
> Curiosity killed the cat-- Do you have any numbers? I just read
> that those oak barrels can cost up to $800 each. How many do *we*
> [the US] use and how many does Italy use? [Does Italy use native
> oaks-- or imported?]

Ni numbers. I heard a report on a food and wine show on TV and was shocked
to hear that what I could not buy here started here. How many? Well,
everyone Italian I know outside of cities makes wine. They all make it in
wooden barrels. Many wines are DOC or DOP and therefore have to be made in
the traditional manner, which is wooden barrels. I guess that's why they
have it to sell.
My neighbor almost disappears inside his 5 foot wide barrels when he cleans
them,. His wife hangs onto his clothes while he scrapes. People have been
known to be overcome in there, so she takes no chances.

I believe the barrels are made of US oak unless they are by tradition sherry
barrels which come from Spain. I saw a program on barrel making, too!