New Owner to Continue Innovation that has Marked reWine Barrels, which Restores Barrels for the Wine Industry
Salem, Ore.—December 20, 2018 A Salem company that restores used barrels for the wine and spirits industries has a new owner. Thomas Collet, of Eugene, Ore., purchased reWine Barrels in November, and he pledged to continue the innovation and service that has enabled the company to thrive.
“Two things make reWine Barrels successful: our process and our service,” Collet said. “No one else has our process, and we guarantee our barrels 100 percent.”
Collet comes to reWine Barrels after having followed his father into the wood products industry. His experience includes decades in growing, manufacturing, and exporting oak products, a useful background for someone dealing with wine and spirits barrels, which are almost exclusively made of oak.
Collet is bringing his son, Jon, into the business, making him the third generation of Collets in the wood business. The elder Collet, who plans to move to the Salem area, will run reWine Barrels on a day-to-day basis.
reWine Barrels was founded in 2009 by Todd Dollinger, who perfected the process of renewing neutral barrels. Using a machine Dollinger invented, the barrels are shaved to expose fresh wood, then are toasted to customers’s specifications using reWine’s proprietary toasting process.
The process results in barrels that impart the same flavor as first-fill French oak barrels at less than half the cost. Tests run by ETS Laboratories, of St. Helena, Calif., which conducts chemical analyses for the wine industry, revealed that the flavor profile of French oak barrels refurbished by reWine Barrels is virtually identical to new French oak barrels fresh from the cooperage.
Although wineries are the major customers of reWine Barrels, producers of beer, cider, vinegar, spirits are also buyers, according to Collet. reWine ships to several states, including Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Texas and Colorado. Foreign destinations include Canada, Hong Kong, Mexico and China.
reWine Barrels has operated in Salem since its inception, but in February will be moving to its new facility at 10466 Sunnyside Road SE, Jefferson, Ore.
If you would like more information about reWine and its new owner, please call Tom Collet at 541-968-5003 or email Tom at thomas@rewinebarrels.com