Nadalie Sources of Oak

The United States

The American White Oak forest covers most of the eastern United States and is the largest contiguous forest in the world. It stretches from Texas to Maine and from Minnesota to Florida, as well as reaching across borders into Canada and Mexico. American oak barrel making was oriented primarily to bourbon and whiskey distlleries until the early 1980s, when American-produced oak barrels began to be used for wine-making, and over the last two decades, the quality of these barrels has improved radically. Some whiskey barrels were adapted to wine production, following Prohibition and until the early 1980s, by steam bending and not charring the barrel interior. The accellerated evolution of the American-made wine barrel is due largely to the seasoning and production techniques applied to American oak by cooperages following Nadalie USA's lead in 1980.

France

The French oak forest constitutes one of the largest oak-growing regions of Europe. The main forest regions are controlled and auctioned by the French government to assure availability and quality. Nadalie USA not only produces barrels on-site in the Napa Valley, but imports French oak barrels manufactured in Bordeaux and Burgundy. Wood choices are governed by the flavor and character desired by the winemaker. The historic use of French oak in winemaking is worldwide.

Eastern Europe

Once highly sought-after, oak from the Baltic and other East Bloc countries is making a comeback following a lengthy period of neglect and poor forest management. Since the demise of communist rule, increased accessibility and improved harvesting and handling techniques have brought renewed interest and a resurgence of commerce in oak for coopering from several eastern European countries.