200k

Number of oak barrels that U.S. wineries purchase annually from France. The U.S. is the largest importer of French oak barrels (up to $1,800 each), buying one-third of France’s production. Only 25 percent of a French oak tree is used in barrel making; with American oak, at least 50 percent is used, and the price of American oak barrels is less than half. The rest of an oak tree is used for building materials, fuel, fertilizer, and barrel alternatives such as chips, spirals, and cubes.