Our wood undergoes a rigorous selection process and comes from the best forests guaranteeing what can be expected from a barrel.

Company "Rumi MND" Ltd. works with selected tree wood from South Balkan Mountains which is a relatively large source of Quercus petraea - Winter oak.

The main factor for the characteristics of the oak is moisture of the soil, which determines the speed of growth of the tree, and hence its structure.

Slower-growing forests are a source of oak with a fine structure. This affects the content of tannin and vanillin and imparting them during the process of wine maturing in the barrels. In terms of spices, age and height of the tree are also important.

Natural drying and seasoning

Natural dehydration is one of the basic and of paramount importance stages, defining the quality of the material used to manufacture barrels, because it radically changes the chemical and physical properties of the wooden elements – the staves. In their raw state they are extremely rich in tannin and flavors. After a natural dehydration, through exposure to the elements for a period of 24 to 36 months, the future staves are purged of undesirable odors and harsher tannins and the flavor of the barrel reaches maturity and softness.

Toasting process

The Oak impact on the wine maturing is determined by 4 main factors:

  • Oak species
  • Drying and seasoning
  • Method and rate of toasting during the making of the barrel

Of these factors, the greatest influence on the change oak nature plays the burning process. Thus it becomes the most important factor affecting the flavors of the wine.

The traditional method of toasting is related to using open fire from wood logs. During the toasting, when the barrel is heated to a certain temperature, different flavours are formed as the heat penetrating the staves, releases components located at various depths in the wood. The surface temperature of the boards, the timing, and the degree of toasting are influenced by the duration of the seasoning.

Studies confirm that the tannins are most sensitive to heat and easily broken. With further increase in temperature, the sugars contained in the timber start to caramelize, thus transforming the flavor of the oak tree into a sweet aroma of spices. Then the lignin decomposes, which results in the vanila flavour. The so called "smoky" flavours are achieved at higher temperatures and higher degrees of toasting.

The stage of toasting is crucial in the barrel manufacturing. This stage modifies the physical and chemical composition and the structure of the wood. We control everything during this process: colour, flavor, temperature, duration, flame intensity, which guarantees the results our clients need- a high quality barrel.

Different kinds of toasting