WINETECH Technical Yearbook 2020

support of natural processes, which include the removal of old trees to supply more light and nutrients to seedlings. A sustainability schedule exists tomanage trees over their full lifetime. Over the first 10 years the shoots are protected, between 10 to 35 years growth is promoted by removing the inferior shoots. Between 35 to 180 years the dominant shoots are further protected and after 180 years the new seedlings of the old trees will start to germinate. The complete schedule is consequently a selection process to favour the better trees. After a tree is felled the aim is to utilise the wood completely. The tree trunk can be divided into the upper, middle and lower parts. The upper part is used for wooden beams if it is straight enough and its side branches and leaves are used for fuel, chipboard and fertiliser. The middle part is used for alternative wood products in the

The PEFC has two certifications, namely for the forests and wood mills or cooperages, where the wood is processed. Companies can obtain a “Chain of Custody” certification, which enable the traceability of sustainable management from the forest to the barrel. France has more than 2 000 companies with this certification. Cellars can contribute to this certification by purchasing only from such companies and contribute in this way to the sustainability of French barrels. By using alternative wood products together with barrels, cellars can also extend the lifetime of barrels and utilise wood better (Passin, 2020). REFERENCE Passin, Deborah, 2020. Sustainability of French oak forests. Wine Business Monthly , May 2020: 18-24.

wine industry and lumber for floors and furniture. The lower part is 20 to 25% of the trunk. 20 to 25%of it is used for barrel staves, 20% for chips and other alternative products for wine, and the remaining percentage (bark, sapwood and trimmings) is used for fuel. The lower part is the most suitable for barrel staves, because it is straight and has fewer side branches. Side branches have knots, which can cause leaks in staves. The lower part is transported to a stave mill (French: “merranderie”), where it is split. Only 5% of the trunk can be used for barrel staves. The trunk is split into 12 sections, which can deliver two to three staves individually. As energy source, logs, chips and wood pellets cover 47% of the French renewable energy. The sustainable management of oak forests is one of the methods to manage climate change. By felling trees, the wood carbon is converted to products, where it can be stored for a long time.

New barrel.

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