Each company we represent has a unique history and story to tell. For more information on their products and statistics, please select from the list below.

Tonnellerie Billon is located in Burgundy (Beaune) and is managed by Vincent Damy, who oversees 22 coopers and an annual production around 12,000 barrels. Billon also owns and manages a small stave mill located on the outskirts of Beaune.  

Tonnellerie Billon has long been a popular barrel for Pinot Noir, and is now being used more extensively with Cotes du Rhone blends and with Chardonnay.  Billon barrels offer wonderful length to the palate, while contributing baked spice characteristics that are complimentary to individual varietals.  They do very well where oak needs to play a supporting role to fruit, promoting primary characters and giving support in lengthening the wine.

Billon is now certified by the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification).  The PEFC is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management (SFM) through independent third-party certification.

Tonnellerie Cadus is located in Ladoix-Serrigny just north of Beaune, and managed by François "Paquito" Barbier - who oversees 42 experienced workers with the capacity to produce just over 22,000 barrels per year.  

Cadus was founded in 1996 as a joint venture between Maison Louis Jadot, Vicard Tonnelleries, and Vincent Bouchard.  Their shared goal was to make the finest custom-fabricated barrels for both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Cadus barrels are now used with many varietals where a subtle oak influence and fine-grained tannins are desired.  Cadus has recently seen a marked growth with many producers in the Bordeaux region.

Pronounced kuh-doos', the name is actually not French - it's Latin for a type of amphora, or clay pot, which was the storage vessel used for wine by the ancient Romans and Greeks.

Cadus barrels are known across many terroirs and grape varietals for their soft, round, respectful contribution, as well as their tendency to highlight the essence of the fruit on the front of the palate.

From its inception, Cadus has respected the following three fundamental principles:  100% French oak, open air seasoning of wood for over 30 months, and consistency in toasting - strictly controlled on both time and temperature.

Tonnellerie Cadus currently purchases 100% of their wood from suppliers that are certified by the PEFC.

Tonnellerie Damy is a third generation cooperage in Meursault, managed by Jerome Damy. Founded in 1946 by M. Roger Damy, Tonnellerie Damy was passed on to Roger's son master cooper Jacques Damy (who still oversees operations), and later to his grandson Jerome.  Damy produces around 20,000 barrels per year, and currently employs a team of 26.

Damy barrels are well known around the world for aging some of the great wines of Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet. Their style is a perfect match with barrel-fermented whites - particularly Chardonnay - and Pinot Noir.  This is why you will find Damy barrels in more than 80% of the cellars of the Domaines in the Cote de Beaune.  Damy is also used extensively with Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre.

Dam barrels have a stunning ability to soften tannins while providing a sweet, rounded impression.  They add structure and weight to the wine without imparting overt woody, coconut notes. The typical aromatic descriptor for the Damy barrel with white wine is creme brulee and toasted nuts, while for red wine a hedonistic chocolate note permeates the palate.

Tonnellerie Damy is now certified by the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification). PEFC works throughout the entire forest supply chain to promote good practice in the forest and to ensure that timber and non-timber forest products are produced with respect for the highest ecological, social and ethical standards. Thanks to its eco-label, customers and consumers are able to identify products from sustainably managed forests.

Vicard Tonnelleries is a sixth generation, family-owned and operated cooperage located in Cognac, founded in 1925 by Paul Vicard and initially producing about 10 barrels per day.  Paul’s son Jean joined the company in 1948 and took the helm for his father in 1977.  Under Jean’s direction, the enterprise flourished, increasing, diversifying and exporting its products around the world.  He delegated the directorship of the Vicard Group to his two sons in 2002.

Today, the cooperage remains under the leadership Jean-Charles Vicard (Technical Director) and Jean-Louis Vicard (Global Ambassador).  Vicard boasts an annual production of around 55,000 barrels - more than 250 barrels a day.  That makes it the largest single-site cooperage in France, stretching over 14 hectares, including an 8-hectare wood yard.  In addition, the cooperage now owns 3 stave yards (Merrains de France, Merrains de Cognac and Merrains du Périgord), which together supply roughly 90% of their French oak production needs.

Vicard produces high quality French, Eastern European and American oak barrels, and they are the only supplier in the Bouchard Cooperages portfolio to offer a complete line of casks and tanks.  They have the most experience in providing a stainless steel door at the base of the tank, which provides easy access for removing must.

Their products are sold all over the world, and are in high demand from many producers of both red and white varietals.

The Vicard toasting workshop is now 100% computerized, allowing for the mastery of three key toasting parameters:  control over the oak flame, time spent on the fire, and temperature inside the barrel. A comprehensive description of all of the toasts available, as well as a closer look at how Vicard crafts their barrels, can be viewed on their website at www.groupe-vicard.com 

Vicard is also now certified by the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification), solidifying its commitment to sustainably managed forests.  This certification is built around the establishment of a chain of control designed to monitor the entire timber industry, from the forest plot to the final customer, through all stages of wood processing. The primary objective is to contribute to the sustainable management of forests by ensuring the adherence to a framework of concrete international rules.

 The PEFC program fits into the philosophy of VICARD, which has always acted as an ecologically responsible company, committed to respecting wood as a natural resource.  This includes its system of reusing all scrap wood generated by the manufacture of its quality barrels.

In 1940 Lauriano Canadell, a Spanish Civil War refugee, established Canadell in Trie-Sur-Baïse (Hautes-Pyrénées) France as a wood-burning facility to supply the shipyard plant of Tarbes, France. Since 1950—for 4 generations and over 60 years—Canadell has been providing staves of the highest quality to the largest cooperages in the world.

In 1984, they opened a second facility in Ully-Saint-Georges, just north of Paris, in order to localize production by sourcing oak from the surrounding forests. Currently managed by Father Jacques Canadell and Son Frédéric, Canadell is one of the oldest Customers, and today remain the premier Customer of the French L'Office National des Forêts (ONF).

In 2000, the Canadell line of fine oak alternatives for winemaking was born from this tradition, benefiting from the company's experience and expertise. Today, Canadell's reputation for quality is successfully spreading throughout Europe, thanks to recent winemaking legislation.

Canadell begins by utilizing its historic relationship with the ONF to source 100% French Oak from the finest high timber forests in France, all of which is fully traceable—from the forest to your wine cellar. Next, they take wood exclusively from the oak duramen (with no bark or sapwood) and season it for a minimum of 24 months (Staves, Fans and Dominoes) or 36 months (Chips, Mini Chips and Powder). When the wood has attained optimal seasoning, Canadell adheres to strict proprietary toasting regimens to carefully craft a complete line of oak alternatives- from oak powder and oak chips to dominoes and tank staves. Top-of-the-line hermetic packaging ensures that all products are stored and delivered in the best possible aromatic condition.

Canadell works in partnership with L'Institut Coopératif du Vin (ICV) in order to continually research, improve and refine their products. The results are shared with Winemakers around the world, and they are raising the quality expectations for oak alternatives. In fact, the Canadell line has developed into a range of oak alternatives now known for promoting the complex expressions of different terroirs and varietals.

In order to maintain its standards for high quality, Canadell regularly selects random lots of oak for rigorous inspection and TCA analyses. Their ongoing commitment to sustainability has recently led to a PEFC certification.

Bouchard Cooperages is a global barrel brokerage company representing a portfolio of highly skilled manufacturers of premium French, Eastern European and American oak barrels and French oak alternatives.  This fine collection of Coopers includes tonnelleries BILLON, CADUS, DAMY, VICARD and CANADELL.

The companies we represent employ many talented individuals committed to producing outstanding products, always maintaining a high level of performance. From tree selection in the forest to the finished barrel ready for wine, quality control is foremost at every stage of production.

Successfully merging rich history with an ever-changing and exciting future, the four cooperages and a French oak alternatives producer represented by Bouchard Cooperages adhere to the following: they value their unique traditions, respond to market demands, and embrace developments in the industry - continually improving production in an on-going effort to keep costs low and quality high. BILLON, CADUS, DAMY, VICARD and CANADELL are also all family-owned enterprises, mindful of their history and commitment to future generations.

The Company Story:

Vincent Bouchard founded Bouchard Cooperages in 1979 on one basic principle:  to give Winemakers access to the finest custom-fabricated French oak barrels - in time for harvest and at minimal expense - year after year. 

Since then, there have been a lot of changes in the barrel business, and Bouchard Cooperages has been at the forefront of much of the innovation (studies on toast levels, forest origin, and the geography of stave aging, as well as the introduction of the silicone bung and the shrink-wrapping of barrels).  In 2009, we began experimenting on the true effect of atmospheric conditions on stave aging.  Our goal is to determine precisely when staves are ready for barrel fabrication, depending on specific geographic and climatic factors (a 3-year aged stave may not be ready if there was a drought for 2 of those 3 years).  Last year we also introduced the "electronic signature," effectively allowing our Winemakers to approve orders from their laptops or smart phones.  And this year, all of our Coopers began emailing their invoices in an effort to not only save paper, but to save our Customers time and money with accounts payable processing.

Through all of these changes, our core principle remains the same.  We pride ourselves in developing long-term relationships with both our Winemakers and our Coopers.  We believe it is only through this on-going collaboration that we can help Winemakers to consistently realize their winemaking passion.

Simply said, we are forever committed to helping our Coopers craft a better barrel, and to helping our Winemakers craft a better wine.  Our team of Sales Consultants pride themselves on meeting with Winemakers, tasting through their wines, and helping them find the best match for a particular varietal, terroir, and individual winemaking style.

With over 30 years of experience and a global presence, we are also experts in logistics – from container consolidation to exchange rate fluctuation risk management - firmly committed to unparalleled customer service.