An alcoholic beverage is aged in a wooden barrel after the barrel is covered by a film having an oxygen transmission rate of at least 50 cc/m.sup.2/day and an ethanol transmission rate of less than 30 g/m.sup.2/day. The beverage acquires one or more specific flavor components in an amount of 50%, 75%, or 100% relative to amounts of one or more of the same flavor components in a control alcoholic beverage aged in a wooden barrel without the film thereon. Covering the barrel with the film reduces the angels' share evaporative loss, while allowing the beverage to develop desirable flavor components during aging. In another embodiment, the process reduces angels' share evaporative loss while achieving organoleptics indistinguishable from a control.

An alcoholic beverage is aged in a wooden barrel after the barrel is covered by a film having an oxygen transmission rate of at least 50 cc/m.sup.2/day and an ethanol transmission rate of less than 30 g/m.sup.2/day. The beverage acquires one or more specific flavor components in an amount of 50%, 75%, or 100% relative to amounts of one or more of the same flavor components in a control alcoholic beverage aged in a wooden barrel without the film thereon. Covering the barrel with the film reduces the angels' share evaporative loss, while allowing the beverage to develop desirable flavor components during aging. In another embodiment, the process reduces angels' share evaporative loss while achieving organoleptics indistinguishable from a control.

Disclosed herein is a process for the conditioning of wood barrels, in particular, a process for the rapid conditioning of wood barrels. The disclosed process may comprise one or more steps comprising: subjecting a wood barrel to heat to increase the temperature of the wood; contacting the heated internal surface of the wood barrel with a fluid additive; and then optionally: subjecting the interior of the wood barrel to a pressurised environment; and/or subjecting the wood barrel to further heating; repeating one or more steps; and allowing the wood barrel to cool, or cooling the wood barrel, to provide a conditioned wood barrel. Also disclosed is another process comprising the step of providing a bladder and a liquid additive within the interior of a wood barrel for a predetermined time to facilitate absorbing the additive into the wood, wherein the bladder reduces the interior volume of the wood barrel such that the liquid additive is in contact with the internal surface of the barrel. Also disclosed herein are conditioned wood barrels and uses thereof.

A wine inventory management system is provided to assist a user in selecting and locating a wine from a wine collection. In one example, a wine inventory management system may comprise a smart cap having an indicator portion and a processor in communication with the smart cap. The processor in communication with the smart cap may comprise a determining module that determines a set of criteria, a matching module that matches wines to the set of criteria to form a wine set, and an illuminating module that illuminates smart caps of the wine set. The smart caps may be illuminated with different colors, light animation patterns, and with different images in some examples.

An alcoholic beverage is aged in at least one wooden barrel after the barrel is covered by a film having an oxygen transmission rate of at least 0.5 cc/m.sup.2/day and an ethanol transmission rate of less than 30 g/m.sup.2/day. The beverage acquires one or more specific flavor components in an amount of 50%, 75%, 90%, or 100% relative to amounts of one or more of the same flavor components in a control alcoholic beverage aged in at least one wooden barrel without the film thereon. Covering the barrel with the film reduces the angels' share evaporative loss, while allowing the beverage to develop desirable flavor components during aging. In another embodiment, the process reduces angels' share evaporative loss while achieving organoleptics indistinguishable from a control.

An alcoholic beverage is aged in at least one wooden barrel after the barrel is covered by a film having an oxygen transmission rate of at least 0.5 cc/m.sup.2/day and an ethanol transmission rate of less than 30 g/m.sup.2/day. The beverage acquires one or more specific flavor components in an amount of 50%, 75%, 90%, or 100% relative to amounts of one or more of the same flavor components in a control alcoholic beverage aged in at least one wooden barrel without the film thereon. Covering the barrel with the film reduces the angels' share evaporative loss, while allowing the beverage to develop desirable flavor components during aging. In another embodiment, the process reduces angels' share evaporative loss while achieving organoleptics indistinguishable from a control.

Aspects of a monitoring method and system for winemaking are provided. The system comprises at least two sensors, a controller, a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver. One sensor measures a wine parameter, while the other sensor measures an ambient condition. The controller is able to generate an alarm based on the wine parameter and the ambient condition. The wireless transmitter is able to communicate the wine parameter and the ambient condition to a remote database. The wireless receiver is able to receive a modification to the firmware.