Barrique
/bəˈriːk/noun
A small oak barrel, especially one used for aging wine or spirits.
Did you know?Barriques became especially associated with Bordeaux and Burgundy winemaking, where oak aging can deliberately transform a wine’s aroma, flavor, and texture.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
Gascon/Occitan
barrica
“A barrel or cask; the likely regional source of the later French word, though its ultimate origin is uncertain.”
16th–17th Century
Spanish
barrica
“A barrel or cask, a closely related Iberian form.”
17th Century
French
barrique
“A cask or barrel, especially in southwestern French usage.”
18th Century
French
barrique
“A wine barrel, increasingly associated with regional wine production.”
1790s
English
barrique
“A borrowed term for a wine cask or barrel.”
Modern English
English
barrique
“A small oak barrel used chiefly to ferment or age wine and, sometimes, spirits.”