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Wine barrels from A to Z: names, sizes and where they come from
From the 225-litre barrique to the Mosel Fuder: the barrel names and sizes every sommelier should know, how oak and toast change a wine, and why size matters.
Updated October 2026
Rewritten by Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier
5 min read
A barrel is not just a container. The wood, the toast and the size all change the wine inside it. Here is what barrels do, the names and sizes you will meet on wine lists and in exams, and how to taste the difference.
What a barrel does to wine
- Flavour. New oak gives vanilla (vanillin), coconut (oak lactones), clove (eugenol) and toast or smoke (from toasting the wood).
- Oxygen. Wood lets in tiny amounts of air over months, which softens tannins and rounds the wine.
- Tannin. Oak adds tannin of its own, more from new barrels than old.
- Evaporation. A little wine escapes through the wood, so barrels are topped up to keep air out.
- New or used. A new barrel gives the most flavour. Each refill gives less, until the barrel is “neutral” and works mainly through slow oxygen.
The wood: French, American and beyond
| Oak | Species and origin | What it gives |
|---|---|---|
| French | Quercus petraea and Quercus robur, from forests such as Allier, Tronçais, Nevers and Vosges | Subtle spice and vanilla, fine-grained, silky tannin |
| American | Quercus alba, white oak | More oak lactones: sweet vanilla and coconut, bolder flavour |
| Hungarian | Central European oak | Close to French oak in style |
| Slavonian | From Slavonia, in Croatia | Used for large Italian casks that give little oak flavour |
- French
- Species and originQuercus petraea and Quercus robur, from forests such as Allier, Tronçais, Nevers and Vosges
- What it givesSubtle spice and vanilla, fine-grained, silky tannin
- American
- Species and originQuercus alba, white oak
- What it givesMore oak lactones: sweet vanilla and coconut, bolder flavour
- Hungarian
- Species and originCentral European oak
- What it givesClose to French oak in style
- Slavonian
- Species and originFrom Slavonia, in Croatia
- What it givesUsed for large Italian casks that give little oak flavour
French staves are split along the grain, because sawn French oak would leak. American white oak is naturally more watertight, so it can be sawn. Limousin oak, wide-grained and tannic, is better known in Cognac than in wine.
Toast: light to heavy
Coopers bend the staves over fire, and the inside of the barrel is toasted. The usual scale is light, medium, medium plus and heavy.
- Lighter toast keeps more of the wood's own tannin and a fresh, woody character.
- Medium toast is the all-rounder: vanilla, sweet spice, a hint of toast.
- Heavier toast brings roasted notes: toast, coffee, smoke, caramel.
Barrel names and sizes
| Name | Size | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Barrique | 225 L | Bordeaux |
| Pièce | 228 L | Burgundy |
| Feuillette | 114 L (Côte d'Or), 132 L (Chablis) | Burgundy |
| Quartaut | 57 L | Burgundy, a quarter of a pièce |
| Tonneau | 900 L | Bordeaux's old trading measure: four barriques |
| Demi-muid | About 600 L | Rhône and many other French regions |
| Foudre | Large, varies | Alsace, Rhône and beyond: big casks with little oak flavour |
| Botte (botti) | Large, varies | Italy, often Slavonian oak: traditional Barolo and Brunello |
| Fuder | 1,000 L | Mosel, Germany |
| Stück / Halbstück | 1,200 L / 600 L | Germany's Rhine regions |
| Hogshead | About 300 L | Australia and elsewhere |
| Puncheon | About 500 L | Many New World wineries |
| Pipe | 550 L is the standard measure | Douro, for Port |
| Butt (bota) | About 600 L | Jerez, for Sherry: American oak, filled to about 500 L for flor |
| Gönc | 136 L | Tokaj, Hungary: the old measure behind puttonyos |
| Caratello | Small; no more than 300 L for Vin Santo del Chianti Classico | Tuscany, for Vin Santo |
- Barrique
- Size225 L
- WhereBordeaux
- Pièce
- Size228 L
- WhereBurgundy
- Feuillette
- Size114 L (Côte d'Or), 132 L (Chablis)
- WhereBurgundy
- Quartaut
- Size57 L
- WhereBurgundy, a quarter of a pièce
- Tonneau
- Size900 L
- WhereBordeaux's old trading measure: four barriques
- Demi-muid
- SizeAbout 600 L
- WhereRhône and many other French regions
- Foudre
- SizeLarge, varies
- WhereAlsace, Rhône and beyond: big casks with little oak flavour
- Botte (botti)
- SizeLarge, varies
- WhereItaly, often Slavonian oak: traditional Barolo and Brunello
- Fuder
- Size1,000 L
- WhereMosel, Germany
- Stück / Halbstück
- Size1,200 L / 600 L
- WhereGermany's Rhine regions
- Hogshead
- SizeAbout 300 L
- WhereAustralia and elsewhere
- Puncheon
- SizeAbout 500 L
- WhereMany New World wineries
- Pipe
- Size550 L is the standard measure
- WhereDouro, for Port
- Butt (bota)
- SizeAbout 600 L
- WhereJerez, for Sherry: American oak, filled to about 500 L for flor
- Gönc
- Size136 L
- WhereTokaj, Hungary: the old measure behind puttonyos
- Caratello
- SizeSmall; no more than 300 L for Vin Santo del Chianti Classico
- WhereTuscany, for Vin Santo
Why size matters
The smaller the barrel, the more wood each litre of wine touches. A 225-litre barrique marks a wine much faster than a 1,000-litre Fuder or a large botte. That is why big casks are chosen for wines where fruit and place should lead, such as Mosel Riesling or traditional Barolo, and small barrels for Bordeaux and Burgundy, where oak is part of the style.
Not every oaky wine saw a barrel. Cheaper wines often get their oak flavour from chips or staves added to a tank.
How to taste the barrel
- Sweet vanilla and coconut: often new American oak.
- Fine spice, cedar and a silky grip: often new French oak.
- Toast, coffee, smoke: a heavier toast.
- No obvious oak, but a rounder texture: old barrels or large casks.
In white wine, don't confuse oak with malolactic: butter comes from the bacteria, vanilla from the barrel. See malolactic fermentation in Chardonnay and sur lie ageing. All the cellar words are in my French wine terms glossary.
Quick quiz
Question 1
How big is a Bordeaux barrique?
- a)114 litres
- b)225 litres
- c)228 litres
- d)600 litres
Show answerAnswer
b) 225 litres. 225 litres. The Burgundy pièce is 228.
Question 2
What is the traditional barrel of Burgundy called?
- a)Pièce
- b)Fuder
- c)Pipe
- d)Butt
Show answerAnswer
a) Pièce. The pièce, 228 litres. A feuillette is half that size or a little more.
Question 3
Which 1,000-litre cask is traditional in the Mosel?
- a)Stück
- b)Foudre
- c)Fuder
- d)Hogshead
Show answerAnswer
c) Fuder. The Fuder. The Stück, 1,200 litres, belongs to the Rhine regions.
Question 4
Which oak usually gives more coconut and sweet vanilla?
- a)French
- b)American
- c)Slavonian
- d)Hungarian
Show answerAnswer
b) American. American white oak is richer in oak lactones, the coconut-smelling compounds.
Question 5
Sherry is aged in which cask?
- a)Pipe
- b)Gönc
- c)Butt
- d)Barrique
Show answerAnswer
c) Butt. The butt, or bota, of about 600 litres. The pipe belongs to Port, the Gönc to Tokaji.
Questions people ask
How many bottles are in a barrel of wine?
A 225-litre barrique holds the equivalent of 300 standard 75 cl bottles, or 25 cases. A little less reaches the bottle after evaporation and sediment.
What is the difference between French and American oak?
French oak is subtler: fine spice, vanilla, silky tannin. American oak is bolder, with more sweet vanilla and coconut.
How long can a wine barrel be used?
For many years, but it gives less flavour with every filling. After a few uses it is considered neutral and mainly lets the wine breathe slowly.
What is a foudre?
A large wooden cask, much bigger than a barrique. It gives little oak flavour, so it suits wines where fruit and place should lead.
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