Would you bury a barrel of wine?

[Ohio Bob]

I ran across this web site while searching for a different topic.

https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/outdoor-winemaking/
I can’t imagine having so many barrels, and so little space, that you would resort to burying them.

My original interest is in deciding when to move wine from primary temperatures to cellar temperatures. I primary with a heat belt, so temps of 75F are no problem. My cellar now is 55F, but can get to 65F in the summer. I usually pitch, primary, secondary for several months before moving to the cellar to bulk age, but I’m never sure if that’s the best process.

My question.. when do you move carboys to the cellar for longer term aging?

 

[toadie]

I haven't read the article yet, I will. I have read a bit about the qvevri (giant clay amphorae?) they use in Georgia. Fascinating stuff. I would love to try something like that if I could get one or my climate cooperated.

 

[winemaker81]

Interesting -- the guy burying the barrel is doing it as an aging experiment, not for any other reason specified in the article. I'd be interesting to seeing a follow up, as this article is from August 2020.

In answer to the question in the post subject: Nope, I would not bury a barrel. Among the reasons are: 1) a big value of the barrel is evaporation, and the surrounding soil will probably prevent that. 2) I'd worry the barrel will rot. 3) I'd worry about critters burrowing in, for whatever reason. 4) If the barrel does evaporate, it produces a vacuum, so there's no more danger of O2 in the ground as in a cellar. 5) It sounds more like a PR stunt.

Regarding moving carboys to the cellar for aging -- I don't. Everything starts and finishes in my cellar, where the temperature ranges from 58F to mid-70's F. Last fall's ferments were in the 63 to 66 F range, and worked fine.

 

[ChuckD]

I move mine to the cellar a few weeks after I rack it off the gross lees… after fermentation appears done and I just see tiny CO2 bubbles. My cellar is heated to keep it around 53 in the winter. In the summer it gets to 65 or so.

 

[ratflinger]

Cellars - a non-item in Texas

And no, I would not bury a barrel of anything

 

[Darrell Hawley]

Cellars - a non-item in Texas

And no, I would not bury a barrel of anything

How about some cabbage, that would make some great sauerkraut ? Although, it JUST might leave a sour note to your next barrel of wine.

 

[ChuckD]

How about some cabbage, that would make some great sauerkraut ? Although, it JUST might leave a sour note to your next barrel of wine.

Or wine flavored sauerkraut! Don’t laugh. I made sauerkraut in a well-washed Dairy Queen root beer syrup bucket once and it came out root beer flavored . I didn’t see that one coming. Had to throw it out.

 

[ratflinger]

Nope, wife is from Germany and there are some swift, modern containers that have an air seal inside them. She makes kraut every year and it comes out perfect. She has used the old water sealed crocks and had so-so performance from them. Kraut has gone bad even when the water seal was maintained.