What does it mean to say a container is ‘wine grade’? Well, that means that container is safe to use for the transportation and storage of wine. Now, there isn’t a specific certification for containing wine. You’ll never see a label on the side of a container that says “Wine Grade.” But food grade containers are wine grade containers. A food grade drum is tested and certified to hold ingredients and consumables, which means it’s safe for wine. Food grade containers can come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials, but at Skolnik, we stick to steel. Specifically, all Skolnik’s food grade and wine barrels are made with food grade 304 stainless steel for superior cleanliness and food safety and are UN and DOT certified.
Food grade stainless steel is particularly well-suited for wine. Another food grade container material is plastic, and plastic is porous. Not only does it make the container more difficult to clean and sanitize if you intend to use the barrels more than once, but the very texture of plastic may open the door for microbes to contaminate your wine.
Food grade steel is easier to clean and sanitize than plastic, and is food-safe from top to bottom. The seams, fitting and closure all meet any necessary food grade requirements in order to ensure both your wine and the consumer is protected.
The strength and durability of stainless steel further protects your product and consumer. As your stainless steel wine barrel or drum is transported or stored, you can be confident the product inside will remain undamaged.
Almost every food, drink or snack item you ingest was at one point stored, cured or transported in a food-grade container. We’re proud to manufacture such a key component in such a delicious supply chain.