A Barrel Full of New Experiences

When it was time for me to look for a practical internship as part of my studies, I didn't want to work at another winegrowing estate like everyone else.

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My motto is to be open to new things, to try everything at least once and to never stop learning. When it was time for me to look for a practical internship as part of my studies, I didn't want to work at another winegrowing estate like everyone else. I wanted to see something completely different. And that's how I landed with Herr Suppiger, a cooper (barrel maker) in Switzerland. It ended up being the best summer of my life. For four months I learned all about wood and how it is processed, and more generally how a cooperage works. You can't imagine just how difficult it is to build a barrel by hand!

The goal of the internship was to produce four barrels of my own. After several smell and taste tests, I ultimately decided on barrique made of acacia, larch and chestnut. I also produced an oaken barrel as a point of comparison. As I formed the barrels, I began wondering just how much the different woods influence the wine inside. I ended up performing experiments, and the results were absolutely astounding and ended up catching the interest of many friends and customers — well beyond the borders of Rheinhessen.

Beyond a variety of great experiences, that internship also forged a strong and enduring friendship with the cooper himself. True to my motto: trying out new things is definitely worth your while!

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