Tonnellerie Ô x Three Sticks Wines Master Cooper Trip to France

Watch the full story. [HERE]

Our partnership with Tonnellerie Ô is unlike any other relationship in our winemaking process. Together, we source wood from specific forest plots, age select extra-fine grain wood at a chosen stave mill, then collaborate on a custom toast profile developed specifically for our wines. As part of this ongoing relationship, our winemaking team travels to France to visit the forests, witness trees being felled that will one day become our barrels, and check on our wood as it seasons at the stave mills.

Much like winemaking itself, coopering is a craft with its own deeply layered processes, most of which happen far from the cellar and far from view. This partnership pulls back the curtain, giving our team a firsthand education in the nuances of oak selection, grain structure, seasoning, and toasting, and the opportunity to shape those decisions in ways that directly influence our wines.

What continues to strike us with each visit is the long-term vision embedded in every part of this industry. France’s Office National des Forêts has been managing these forests since the time of Napoleon, planning not for this decade but for the next 150 to 200 years. It is a humbling reminder that the best things in this world, including great wine, require patience, stewardship, and an eye toward the future.

Hear from the team and their 2024 trip together:

Ryan Prichard, Director of Winemaking
“One of the big takeaways for me on this trip was the required long-term vision in the forest management business. So many things in this world are looked at through the lens of how quickly they can generate returns. The national forest management in France is looking 150 to 200 years into the future. Meeting the professionals who manage these forests and stave mills gives me a deep appreciation for the work and care that goes into the barrels we rely on. The deeper my team can understand the origins of these barrels, the more intentionally they will treat and think of these vessels. Tightness of grain, forest of origin, and seasoning location all have an impact on how these barrels interact with our wines.”

Jeremy Sedaka, Associate Winemaker
“Quality is quality in any industry, and that truth was ever-present on our Master Cooper trip with Tonnellerie Ô. From the forests to the stave mills and on to the cooperage, we witnessed the full arc of how our barrels come to life. The Tarteret family welcomed us into their home for lunch after Nicolas walked us through their operations at NT Bois, sharing the history of the industry alongside the science of grain growth and sustainable sourcing. Vincent and Nathalie Gauthier of Merrain Camille Gauthier Stave Mill reinforced just how much craftsmanship goes into producing quality staves. Our partnership with Master Cooper Quinn Roberts has opened doors to a deeper understanding of oak profiles and given us the space to question, refine, and appreciate every step. Responsible sourcing is not just an ideal, it is a practice, and engaging with partners who share that commitment promotes sustainability in every sense of the word.”

Cassidy Block, Assistant Winemaker
“If you told me five years ago that for work I would be standing in the remote Forêt de Darney in northeastern France, watching a father-son duo fell 200-year-old oak trees that were seedlings during the French Revolution, I would have blinked at you in disbelief. Yet this experience has changed the way I see my role in the wine industry entirely. The Office National des Forêts has been working since the days of Napoleon to preserve these living relics, and it is a true testament to sustainability that benefits both the health of the forest and the quality of the oak it provides. I will never forget the belly laughs shared with the Gautiers, a foggy early morning run through the Grand Crus of Chablis, or watching the sun set over Romanée Conti. There is something profound about drinking Les Clos in Les Clos, and experiencing firsthand the terroir that connects vineyard, cellar, and barrel. As a disciple of pinot noir and chardonnay, Burgundy felt like arriving at the mothership.”

Watch the full story. [HERE]