Durrif's Cooperage in Romania is based in the Arad County, that links with Hungary, and has a capacity of 2000 barriques per year. Arad is in the 46º parallel the same that athe best oak forest of France.

Durrif Cooperage in Bulgaria is Participated with Tsvetan Dimitrov and its based in Botevgrad in the heart of the Balkans, 45 km East from Sofia.

Every year we go with the managers of the cooperage to buy the best wood to the timber companies in the Arad County and in the north of Bulgaria, in the limits with the Donau river.

Drying and seasoning.

The timber starts drying immediately after it has been cut down. The tree can spend several months on the ground before being transported to the cooperage. This is the beginning of the drying stage. After cutting, humidity is 50% but in three months it reduces by 20%. In natural conditions the timber dries to 14-16% humidity. Timber is extremely moist-retentive and humidity levels increase in the winter and decrease in the summer.

Seasoning follows the drying. During this stage the wood change-volatile elements evaporate, others oxidize, ongoing microbiological activity causes some decomposition of existing substances and the formation of new ones. These changes are determined by the storage conditions. In a humid environment, mould and fungi develop. They can penetrate the wood surface and cause rotting and decomposition. Oak that is stored in the open and is exposed to rain can lose some of its valuable qualities. However, it is considered that longer period of seasoning is a way to smooth the character of the oak

Toasting

The traditional toasting method involves inserting a burning log in the barrel, and the cooper determines the degree of the toast, judging from the aroma imparted from the staves. Modern methods rely on the computerised control of barrel temperatures and toasting times. During the toasting, when the staves are heated to certain temperatures, release of components from different levels of the stave starts and aromas develop.

The surface temperature of the staves, time and degrees of the toast depend on the duration of the seasoning.

Research confirms that the tannins are the most heat sensitive substances and decompose quickly. The subsequent temperature increase makes wood sugar caramelize and the oak aroma transforms into sweet, spicy notes. The subsequent decomposition of the lignin generates vanilla aroma. The higher level of the toast creates rich aromas of almond, chocolate, coffee and the so-called "smoky" aromas.