The Canadell stave makers/coopers from Trie-sur-Baïse are worried. Nearly 7,000 barrels intended for their American customers are blocked in the port of Oakland, California, saturated since the pandemic and social conflicts.
“We are worried, but a priori the American authorities have taken up the problem. Frédéric Canadell admits it, the last few weeks have been stressful to say the least in the stave-cooperage which makes high-end oak barrels, established in Trie-sur-Baïse since 1950.
“In January, we sent seven containers loaded with approximately 7,000 of our barrels for delivery to our American customers. Only to this day, several of these containers are still blocked in the port of Oakland in California, while our customers urgently need to recover the drums. »
A bottleneck that the maritime director of the port of Oakland, Bryan Brandes, justifies by a difficult logistical recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic and the closure of the port of Seattle, aggravated by recent social movements among maritime personnel.
Cost warming
“The Chardonnay harvest started there a month early due to global warming,” continues Frédéric Canadell. “If the winegrowers don’t get their barrels back, they’ll have to start fermentation in second-hand barrels and transfer afterwards. If things don’t work out, they’ll probably buy from local manufacturers and keep the barrels they ordered from us for the following year when they receive them. »
A potential shortfall feared by the Canadells, who employ nearly 80 people and who are also facing an increase in raw materials, in particular the precious wood they select, and skyrocketing transport prices.
At present, a barrel exported to the United States produced by Canadell is sold for around 1,000 euros. “Between the repercussions of global warming on our professions, and the accumulating logistical concerns, we too will be obliged to increase the price of our products. But we will do it over two years. While our customers fully understand the situation and know that we are suffering from it like them, they remain above all worried about the future quality of their wines. »
Patience and high quality
Californian winemakers did not choose the Canadells by chance. Labeled “living heritage company since July”, the company has the reputation of supplying high quality barrels, necessary for the creation of great wines.
“They are ready to wait because they want to make an exceptional product. In California, producing wine is not the same as in France. They want to make a luxury product. »
And to recover their oak barrels, American winegrowers are ready for anything. In an article published last week in the daily San Francisco Chronicle, we learn that a group seized the office of Mike Thompson, elected Democrat from California to the United States House of Representatives, who assured that several thousand barrels will be “released” from the Port of Oakland in the coming days.
