• Most wine barrels are made of French Oak.wine barrels image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
  
  Wine barrels can be made of American or French Oak. French Oak has been used longer and is considered the most desirable wood for making wine barrels. Most French Oak comes from forests planted in the days of Napoleon for ship building. Most wine barrels weigh between 125 and 140 pounds, and can hold around 32 gallons of wine.
  
  

Staves

• A wine barrel is usually made up of eight oak staves, or strips, which have been shaped into a bulging cylinder. The shape of the bulge is designed so the barrel can easily be rolled. The curve, or bilge, allows the barrel to be turned easily to control direction.
  
  

Hoops

• The staves are held in place by six to eight metal hoops that encircle the barrel, spaced along its length. The head hoop is at the top of the barrel, followed by a quarter hoop and two bilge hoops. There is another quarter hoop and then a bottom hoop.
  
  

Barrel Heads

• The ends of the staves are trimmed and a groove is cut into them to receive the barrel heads, which seal the top and bottom of the barrel.
  
  

Bung Hole

• The bung hole is the opening in the middle of a barrel from which the wine can be sampled over time and later removed when aging has been completed. The bung hole is sealed with either a large cork or rubber stopper.