Know-how

Bending is the keystone of crafting an oak cask, and it takes place just after the raising (“mise en rose”). During this stage of production, the cask takes on its definitive shape thanks to mechanical force combined with the joint action of heat and water. The hoops fitted during bending hold the whole structure together, […]

To carry out the “mise en rose” (raising), the cooper assembles the staves vertically, side by side, inside an assembly hoop. This stage comes just before bending, during which the cask takes on its final shape.   The “mise en rose” is the cooper’s domain a skill that demands dexterity, speed and precision. Each cask […]

Aromas, Oak, and R&D Her knowledge is matched only by her discretion. Lise Michel, a trained and experienced oenologist, joined Charlois on February 1st, 2024, stepping seamlessly into the role of Research Engineer—a role that suits her perfectly. Attached to the Exact Laboratory, Lise supports all the cooperages within the group, the sales teams, [...]

Cooperage is a noble and ancestral craft, a profession rooted in expertise, requiring precise gestures and specific tools. Though the trade became more industrialized in the 19th century with the advent of machine tools, it remains deeply artisanal, with the human hand still essential to every step. The quality of barrels produced in our cooperage [...]

Adèle and Elsa Matrot have been at the helm of their eponymous estate for about ten years. Nestled in the heart of Meursault, the estate was passed down from their parents—a true family story that lives on through the way they craft their wines. It is Adèle and Elsa who now hold the delicate responsibility […]

Established in the Cognac region since the 1930s, Tonnellerie Bernard combines authenticity and craftsmanship to meet the needs of its customers, whether winemakers or distillers. In the heart of Grande Champagne, the artisans at Tonnellerie Bernard have mastered the skills and techniques required for the meticulous craft of barrel and vat making. [...]

In the production of stave wood, every step is essential to ensuring high-quality wood for cooperage. After the edging process, comes the sorting phase. This crucial step involves selecting the stave wood pieces that meet the strict requirements for producing staves, ensuring the quality and, most importantly, the watertightness of the barrels.   S [...]

Charlois and Faïencerie Georges share many common values ancestral family know-how, deep territorial roots, and a love for beauty which naturally brought these two houses from the Nièvre region together to collaborate.   Candles Infused with the Essence of Cooperage Oak This first collaboration has resulted in creation of a series of four exception [...]

A New Romanian Generation Takes the Helm Since the 2010s, new vineyard owners, along with Romanian engineers, managers, and winemakers, have been spearheading a revival of the country’s winemaking traditions. This new generation, trained in Italy, France, New Zealand, and Chile, is fluent in English and brimming with determination, taking control o [...]

Between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, the Balkans are emerging on the European wine scene. A fresh wind of technical mastery is reviving millennia-old traditions. A young country with a long history of shifting borders, Romania is rediscovering its prestigious past. Terroirs influenced by multiple cultures, documented since antiquity, once f [...]

Cubing logs* is the first step in the stave mill process. This is where future barrels are shaped.   Logs are trucked directly from the forest to the Group’s staveyards. In Murlin, in Varzy (Nièvre Merrain), in Saint-Martin-du-Puy (Ateliers du chêne) or at Tonnelleries Merranderies Réunies in Charente… One by one, the logging truck places […]

The craze for treehouses is not new. The first boom in these unusual constructions dates back to the Renaissance, in particular in English and Italian aristocratic circles. Several engravings from the 16th and 17th centuries bear witness to this (for example, Stefano della Bella’s engraving of a platform perched in an oak tree in the […]