800 W Boone St, Santa Maria, CA, United States of America, 93458
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Under Pressure: Cut Costs with Certified Used Barrels
As the wine industry reels following a string of economic setbacks, it has been hoping for a rebound. Conversations swirl around whether the sales decline is slowing or if a portfolio realignment to focus on premium wines could reposition the brand for success among consumers who are drinking less. Cure-alls for capturing the Gen Z and Millennial consumer abound, along with Instagrammable images of happy young women in hats. Technological innovation thrives, bringing solutions and automating processes from weeding to bottling and streamlining online direct-to-consumer sales.
Almost all the worries are real, and experimentation is essential. But, in the end, wine is a nuts and bolts business. Winery owners tally up the costs and the sales revenue at the end of the harvest season and set about readjusting as necessary. Lately, the costs have been outstripping the profits at a greater rate than ever. It’s why we see dead vines and bare earth where vineyards were thriving yesterday and long-time tasting rooms of successful wineries closing.
Wineries that are focused on the practicalities of growing, making and selling wine continue their search for ways to reduce costs without compromising quality. They are also holding their breath as they wait to see just how much tariffs will increase prices for imported glass bottles, cork, aluminum closures and French oak barrels. The question they’re asking is, “Where can we save money without sacrificing what matters?”
The Cost-Saving Power of Quality Used Barrels
One increasingly strategic answer to cost-cutting is to buy used barrels that are already in the US.
“French oak is the gold standard in wine production,” says Luke Brewer, co-owner and general manager of Quality Wine Barrels, a leading supplier of refill-ready barrels for more than two decades. “Some cooperages ship ready-made barrels, while others ship oak staves and assemble barrels here. Either way, costs are climbing.”
A single new French oak barrel runs $1,000 or more. Brewer recently calculated the cost of shipping six of these barrels from California to Texas and found the price topped $8,000. In contrast, that same shipment of French oak barrels used for just one vintage would cost under $3,000, and shipping high-quality neutral red wine barrels instead would cost a third of that.
“That’s a $5,000‒$7,000 savings,” Brewer explains. “And that’s our premium barrel with the most oak life left. We source from top-tier wineries and sanitize, leak test and guarantee each barrel. Our solid guarantee reassures the first time buyer.”
Sustainability Adds Value
It takes 80-120 years to grow an oak tree, and each yields only one and a half to two barrels. Reusing barrels saves thousands of trees and lowers CO₂ emissions generated from international shipping and cooperage processes.
It is estimated that if only 10% of American wineries bought 12 used barrels per year it would amount to taking 600 – 1,100 cars off the road for a whole year.
Switching to used barrels supports the environmental stewardship goals wineries are increasingly setting. It also meets the transparency expectations of the growing ranks of eco-conscious consumers.
Easing the Stress of Harvest
Many wineries only think about used barrels and racks in the middle of the busy harvest season—typically because they suddenly discover they’ve underestimated the yield.
“Every year, for about two months during harvest, everyone is calling me in a panic,” laughs Brewer, “They may underestimate yield or unexpectedly source extra grapes. We often work through the night during harvest.”
Whatever the reason wineries need used barrels, Quality Wine Barrels' mission is simple: “To save you money and take the stress out of harvest season while giving great barrels a second life.”
That commitment keeps wineries coming back. "I’m extremely pleased,” says Weston McCoury, General Manager of Fiesta Winery. “We always get exactly what Luke promises and never have any issues. Quality takes real good care of us.”
With tariffs adding to economic pressures, wineries are reevaluating every budget item—from vines to oak. For many, switching to used barrels from Quality Wine Barrels isn’t just a smart option - it’s a cost-effective and sustainable business model.
It Takes 150 Years to Grow a Barrel. Let’s Make It Count.
It Takes 150 Years to Grow a Barrel. Let’s Make It Count
It takes French oak trees 120 to 150 years to mature. American oak? Around 80 to 100. That’s how long it takes nature to produce the raw material.
Each tree doesn’t go far- it only yields one or two barrels.
- American oak = 2 barrels per tree
- French oak = 1 to 1.5 barrels per tree
And yet, many barrels are used for only a few vintages—then discarded, chipped, or burned.
We believe something that takes a century to grow shouldn’t be single-use. Reusing barrels is better for the planet, the pocketbook —and the future of winemaking.
Our barrel sales have ranged from 10,000 to 20,000 per year for 20+ years. That adds up to hundreds of thousands of barrels we have kept in circulation.
That means Our Work at Quality Wine Barrels has helped save:
- 50,000 to 100,000 mature oak trees
- 400 to 800 acres of slow-growing, carbon-absorbing forest
- Centuries of natural growth that never had to be harvested
That’s more than the entire size of Central Park in NYC (843 acres)
Another Bonus- Less Water Used
New barrels require 20–50 gallons of water each to hydrate and prep.
Used barrels? Often just a rinse or a quick steam.
Multiply that over thousands of barrels per year.
So...Picture This
Telling visitors in your tasting room that the barrels behind them once held a prized vintage—and helped save a 150-year-old oak tree.
You could even add a note to your label that your wine was aged in a reused barrel—conserving water, reducing waste, and honoring centuries-old forests.
You could do all this without changing your process, without adding new infrastructure- while saving thousands of dollars on barrels.
Reusing barrels tells the truth with a compelling story that people want to hear and stretches your winemaking budget - without compromising quality.
The Whole Industry Impact
If just 10% of the wine industry reused barrels instead of buying new, the environmental impact would be enormous. With over 11,000 wineries in the U.S. alone, even a small shift could save tens of thousands of oak trees every year.
Millions of gallons of water conserved- less energy, fewer chemicals and far fewer carbon emissions from logging and transport.
And No Compromise on Quality
Reused barrels still offer structure, aroma, and depth—whether you’re using them for fermentation, finishing, or layering complexity. When properly inspected and certified, such as the ones we sell, they offer:
Lower cost
Lower waste
Lower footprint
Same tradition. Same craft.
The Cost Savings
We sell barrels from $65 to $300, depending on age and cooperage.
Compare that to new barrels, which typically start around $1,100 each—and the savings become clear, especially when you’re sourcing dozens or hundreds at a time.
Curious what your winery could save—in cost, trees, or gallons?
Let’s talk about how reused barrels can support your winemaking and your mission.
QualityWineBarrels.com 805- 481-4737- ask for Luke
Save Oak, Save Money: Why Recoopering Makes Sense
Save Oak, Save Money: Why Recoopering Makes Sense
Reduces Pollutants
Saves Forests
Adds Wine Complexity
Restores Original Cooper’s Style
Preserves Barrel Integrity
Recoopering brings “used up” oak barrels back to life and provides a like-new barrel at a fraction of the cost of new oak. Quality Wine Barrels perfected this centuries old practice, and saves it for only the best barrels in the warehouse.
Years ago, our founder tinkered with a name-brand curved planer tools creating a totally “new” tool. This unique tool shaves each stave 3/16th to 5/16th-inch thinner to remove residual wine and contaminants that may linger in the pores. As a result, oak extraction and oxygenation is close to that of a new oak barrel without off-flavors.
In fact, to this day, we dismantle and remake planer tools to shave barrels precisely to ensure exceptional quality. Consequently, barrel integrity is safeguarded since we don’t tear barrels apart to shave staves individually.
This saves time and allows us to sell high quality used oak barrels with cost-savings built right in.
The next step, after shaving, is to re-toast the barrel. This imparts furfurals, trans-oak lactones, vanilluns, tannins and other oak compounds to add complexity to the wine. It gives the wine a similar oak profile to the original cooper’s style.
Save Money & Go Green
Not only is cost savings paramount these days, but also “recycling” oak barrels back into production reduces demand for new barrels. This prolongs and often doubles the life cycle of a barrel and is a GREEN alternative to new oak barrels.
Quite simply, it cuts the demand for finite forest resources, and reduces pollutants generated by shipping barrels around the planet.
Call or Email us with any questions about this unique process or to order recoopered oak barrels. Additionally, we can also custom toast barrels to your preference.
Let Quality Wine Barrels Help You Do This CRAZY Year!!
We’ve seen many ups and downs in wine the industry over the years, but this year beats all.
My team and I feel the stress, as I imagine a lot of you do, too - fighting to protect what we built, and wondering what the next curveball will be.
I wanted to send you a quick hello to introduce myself, and let you know that we sell certified used barrels at a fraction of the cost of what you would pay for new barrels.
Our company, founded in 2002, has bought and sold over a half million barrels worldwide in the past two decades, so are very familiar with the ins and outs of the barrel business.
We keep a large and diverse inventory of barrels that is updated continuously on our website, and also can hold barrels in our warehouse with pre-orders if needed.
Additionally, if it is recoopered barrels you desire, we offer custom toast levels and barrels providing oak extraction and oxygenation close to that of a new barrel by utilizing our proprietary shaving technique.
We love to talk barrels, and create long-lasting relationships with our customers.
Please call or email us!
Luke Brewer and the team
(805) 481-4737
About
Our mission is to be your first choice every single time you need a high-quality used oak wine barrel for wine or spirit making. From the time you plan your harvest and through harvest season, being your first choice for barrels is our priority.
It’s the reason we exist.
With 20 plus years of experience, and over a half million barrels sold, we know the ins and outs of the barrel business.
That’s why our 5-point inspection certification process and quality guarantee are the cornerstone of Quality Wine Barrels.
In our vast warehouse:
Red barrels
White Barrels
Large Format Barrels
Barrel Racks
We look forward to working with you!
Luke, Mike & Justin
Contact
Contact List
| Title | Name | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Manager | Luke Brewer | sales@qualitybarrels.com | 805-481-4737 |
Location List
| Locations | Address | State | Country | Zip Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Wine Barrels | 800 W Boone St, Santa Maria | CA | United States of America | 93458 |
List of Locations
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