The process of making a wine barrel display cabinet all starts with the selection of a used wine barrel. Wine barrels have a shelf life and when they are done with making wine, they need to be replaced with new barrels giving way for the creation of a wine barrel display cabinet and other unique home decor products.

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Not all barrels are the same though. They vary slightly in size and ring placement, however, they are all made with white oak and they all hold the same amount of wine. White oak contains a plastic-like substance called tyloses allowing the wood to absorb liquid and expand. The wine inside the barrel causes the white oak staves to swell and seal all the seams making the barrel wine tight. 

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The fun work begins once a barrel has been selected. The barrels are brought back to my shop where I examine the barrel and select the best spot for an opening. All the stave joints in a freshly poured out wine barrel will be tight and the barrel will feel solid and structurally sound. However, given that oak is a natural product and has great moisture absorbing properties, oak will shrink as it dries when it is no longer exposed to the pressure and moisture of the wine which it once held. The rings on the barrels are held in place by friction and a few small ring nails. As the staves dry, the grip of the rings can loosen causing the barrel to become unstable. I pre drill a hole on each ring at every stave and secure the ring with screws to provide the support needed to help the barrel keep it's shape and structural integrity as the barrel staves dry out over time.

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Once the barrel is structurally sound, I cut an opening into the side of the barrel. When the section of the barrel is removed it reveals a beautiful red wine stained appearance on the inside of the barrel. The smell of wine in most cases will still be present but that smell will dissipate over time now that the inside of the barrel has been exposed. Prior to installing shelves or wine racks inside the barrel, I give the inside of the barrel at least two coasts of a water based polyvarathane finish. This process helps preserve the colour and helps reduce shrinkage during the drying process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At this point I can begin with the design and installation of a shelf, wine rack, wine glass holder and LED strip lights. The shelf and wine rack are constructed of oak and are secured inside the barrel. The wine racks are designed to hold 12 standard wine bottles, either with a 12 square design or two rows of wine barrel staves to cradle the bottles. There are two sets of "Govee" LED strip lights installed inside the cabinet. One set is installed at the top and the other set is installed under the shelf. Both sets of lights have a manual power switch, however, the lights can be accessed via a wifi app on a smartphone with a 2.4g wifi connection and set to a programmable timer. The app allows the user to change colours or make the colours beat to the sound of music.

 

The final stage is staining and sealing the outside of the barrel. The shelf, wine rack and the outside of the barrel are stained with an oil based stain. Prior to adding the stain, the barrels are sanded to remove some of the imperfections and rough surfaces. I purposefully try not to remove all the imperfections so the barrel does not lose all of it's history and character. Once the stain is applied I apply three coats of a water based polyuarathane to protect the stain and the wood.