The relationship between wood and wine has always been very close, from the times of the Celts who made the first barrels from this material to transport the wine to using them for their aging. Nonetheless, advances did not stay behind in the Iron Age. Nowadays, maintaining the barrels for the wine is essential for its development and quality. Conservation in clean and disinfected containers allows the wine to mature in a harmonious way during its aging process. At Bodegas Volver we use the ozone technique for the disinfection of the barrels.
The useful life of a French oak barrel is between 3 to 5 years. So the barrel can have several uses, a system of cleaning that leaves it in perfect condition is necessary. Our method is divided into two stages: cleaning and disinfection.
Once the barrel is empty it is put in the washer. Pressurised water is added first to clean the barrel. The second stage consists of removing any residual deposits that may remain in the staves with wáter at 90º , since wine can be lost through the absorption of the wood
On the one hand, boiling water facilitates the cleaning. On the other hand, the injection of ozone into the interior of the barrel penetrates its pores and disinfects by eliminating bacteria and any foreign substance found in the wood.
The advantages to using ozone.
- It is the most environmentally friendly and least dangerous cleaning method
- It disinfects and sterilises the barrel
- It does not use cleaning products of bactericides which can alter the composition of the wine or be harmful to the consumer
- It does not leave chemical residues
- It lengthens the useful life of the barrel