Consider Canada; the exchange rate helps a little.

Whiskey barrels are rarely 30 gallons and have the wrong toast level
too; besides the whiskey was in them for several years. That said, my
grandfather made good reds in whiskey barrels. A typical whiskey
barrels still has a gallon of whiskey stuck in it's staves; that is
hard to overcome the first year. Old Italians around here use that as
a way around using 'chemicals' like sulfite. I think wine made that
way is well, different to say the least. You can get it out of there
but you still have a charred, not toasted barrel unless you tear it
apart and scrape it clean and then toast it. If you are good with
wood you can do that, just mark the pieces first.


You want a toasted wine barrel. The barrelmill is pretty reasonable.

Joe