Good grapes make good wine, but there’s also a lot to be said for the wood that makes the barrels. At $250-$600 each, a wine barrel is an investment that a winemaker will select carefully, looking at the variables of origin of the wood and the amount of toasting over a fire that the cooper gives the inner surfaces. Tight-grained wood, found in colder climates, is desired. Experienced winemakers know what flavors different oak species will create. The toasting of the wood is akin to caramelizing onions in cooking. Flavor, that will later be imparted into the wine, is created as the wood is scorched.