Spigots are used at vineyards to allow the wine-maker to taste directly from the barrel.
Wine can be tapped in a barrel, just like beer. Wines are aged in wooden barrels stored in a constant room temperature. The barrels are stacked on their side and corked. The wine can be served directly from the barrel, a tasting method used on vineyards around the world. Two Urban Licks, an Atlanta restaurant, even reuses beer kegs to hold and serve their wines. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Attach a spigot to the opening of the wine barrel. Place the barrel right side up with the corked opening facing the ceiling. Pull out the cork. Install a spigot by placing it into the opening and screwing the spigot into place. The down spout of the spigot should be facing the edge of the barrel. This principle can be used for a hole drilled in the side of the barrel. The barrel must be turned on its side to let the wine sit at the bottom, away from the opening. Traditional spigots are wooden, however plastic is often used as well.
2. Place the barrel on a table or counter. The barrel must be secured by a holding rack or set between two solid structures to prevent it from rolling onto the ground. A barrel with a hole drilled in the side can be secured using a rack as using solid structures is more difficult. The rack will rest on each end elevating the barrel slightly to prevent rolling.
3. Hold a wine glass under the spigot at a 45 degree angle with the stem toward your body. Slowly pour the wine into the glass.
Tags: barrel must, directly from, directly from barrel, drilled side, from barrel, hole drilled