CANADELL ensures the quality and consistency of its oak adjuncts by overseeing the entire manufacturing process, from selecting trees in the forest to seasoning, fabricating, toasting, packaging and sales. This 100% vertical integration gives winemakers full traceability and confidence in the impact its oak will have on their wine.

"The Canadell Family delivers a full range of premium oak products that are classically made, traditionally crafted, and extremely consistent," says Paolo Bouchard, Business Development Manager for Bouchard Cooperages, CANADELL’s exclusive partner in North America, Australia, and New Zealand.

"Wineries producing everyday value and premium price point wines often appreciate the consistency and quality of the CANADELL portfolio," adds Sarah Lanzen, International Oak Alternatives Consultant at Bouchard Cooperages. "Their consumers rely on consistency in today's ever-changing world. CANADELL's approach has always been rooted in integrity and the desire to achieve excellence in delivering premium quality products at the best price."

CANADELL THE COMPANY:

CEO Fréderic Canadell is at the helm of these fourth generation wood merchants, with his father, Jacques Canadell, a passionate expert, keeping a watchful eye. They have two stave mills, one just north of Paris and the other in southwest France, where the family began the business after immigrating from Spain before WWI. Both regions have climate conditions ideal for the stave seasoning, maturation and consistency. CANADELL air dries the oak outside in the elements, evenly spaced for optimal ventilation and seasoning to ensure the wood is thoroughly dried so that the oak does not come off green and unappealing in the wine.

PRODUCT PORTFOLIO: 

CANADELL produces convection and fire-toasted oak adjuncts that include tank staves, segments, chips, and inserts. CANADELL's oak sourcing and purchasing power are unparalleled, as it is one of the oldest and largest customers of oak from forests managed by France's Office National des Forêts (ONF). The competition for these highly sought-after oak trees requires expertise and patience. The company avows that "one key principle guides us: Respect the 'terroir' of the different Forests.” Oak from the forests near Paris, central France, Normandy, and Vosges are prized most by Cooperages, and the CANADELL team spends months visiting the forests to determine which lots to bid on based on the trees’ desirability to produce high-quality staves. CANADELL sources from these regions to ensure consistency, grain tightness, soil and maritime or continental climate.

“France has 62 million acres of forest,” notes Bouchard, “but the 4.4 million acres of forêts domanial [public forests owned by the state] account for only 9%. France has preserved these forests since Napoleon’s minister, Jean–Baptiste Colbert, saved them from being cut down for naval ships, which happened in England, and they continue to be well-tended by the ONF.”

SUSTAINABILITY:

Forest preservation is crucial to the Canadell family. The company is certified by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), a leading global alliance of national forest certification systems. They are also a sponsor of the “ONF – AGIR” fund (Office National des Forêts – React), which is committed to preserving France's forests to ensure their sustainability and help mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. CANADELL is just as unique in its commitment to sustainability as in its commitment to quality, tradition, and consistency.

To learn more visit www.onf-agirpourlaforet.fr. For more information on the Canadell portfolio, contact Bouchard Cooperages, https://www.bouchardcooperages.com.