One important stage didn’t happen during my visit: fitting of the top and bottom head pieces. Once assembled, the hoops at either end of the barrel are removed to let the barrel ease out. The head pieces are slid inside, then the steel hoops are tightened again to squeeze the barrel staves together and grip the head pieces. This short film by wine-pages.com was made in the cooperage of Louis Latour in Burgundy.
how a wine barrel is made
