Most vintners see used barrels as a leftover artifact from a great a vintage, maybe good for another season or two at most. Otherwise, they are a space consuming useless relic, worth only a few dollars to a reseller or amateur home winemaker. Chuck Cartwright of Hudson Vineyards sees used barrels as a valued resource, a raw material that can be transformed into a work of art or functional article to help heroic veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Chuck sees "Barrels4Vets."

 

With the help of John Crossley at Suisun Valley Antiques & Collectibles, used wine barrels and half barrels are available for resale to benefit the Tug McGraw Foundation (TMF) in Yountville. TMF earmarks the funds for their own fStop Warrior Project as well as the lauded Pathway Home, a residential recovery program for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Read Full Story.