Summary

Wooden whisky barrel on a stand. It was used in domestic wine production by the Di Benedetto family at their home in Thornbury, circa 1990, and is similar to original barrel the family used from 1960s to the 1980s for the final fermenting stage after final press. The original barrel was discarded as it was ruining the wine. The Di Benedetto family began making wine in the 1960s, and in the early years the wine making was very much a family affair, with everyone contributing to the annual ritual. As the family dispersed, Vito di Benedetto continued to make wine once every three years, with the assistance of Maria and often his daughter Angela, until his death in 1991.

Physical Description

Wooden barrel on stand. The barrel is made from vertical planks, bound horizontally with metal hoops and bearing a wooden tap at top. There is a hole at one side, with a piece of gauze attached nearby. The stand is constructed of four metal members, each with a cross section of a right-angled-C. Two shorter members form the bottom edges, and are topped by two longer members resting corner-to-corner and welded together.

More Information