Seguin Moreau Now Making House Calls; Master Cooper from Legendary Barrel Brand Visiting Wine Country Customers to ''Keep in Touch''.

NAPA, Calif. -- A barrel "doc" is making house calls, visiting winemakers throughout California and taking his craft direct to customers -- repairing, replacing, patching and giving prescriptions as only a fifth generation Master Cooper can. French cooperage Seguin Moreau, one of the world's premiere oak barrel makers, is sending its top U.S. barrel maker, Douglas Rennie, to visit customers two days a week in a brand new specially-outfitted and branded Daimler Chrysler repair van to get first hand information on some of the everyday challenges wineries are dealing with.

"We pride ourselves on being 'always one step ahead,'" said Seguin Moreau USA V.P. John Forster. "There's no better way to demonstrate our commitment to customer service than by getting our hands dirty and adding value for winemakers right in their own facilities."

Rennie was raised in Glasgow, Scotland, in a family known for its barrel-making heritage. After training and working for many years in France, Rennie moved to Napa to take charge of Seguin Moreau's cooperage here where he has been for the last 12 years. Rennie will replace cracked staves, repair damaged barrelheads and, otherwise, help winemakers avoid spending time and money to take or ship barrels back to the Napa cooperage. His repair van will be stocked with stacks of staves of various sizes and wood types, including French oak, American oak, Russian oak and blends.

"Initially, we'll have Douglas traveling all over Northern California, then later take trips down toward Lodi and throughout the Central Coast," said Forster. "If this proves as successful as we think, we'll have another truck by next spring visiting our customers throughout the Pacific Northwest."

Editors: Digital Image of Master Cooper With His Tools
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About Seguin Moreau

Seguin Moreau USA was established in 1995 with the completion of the Napa Cooperage in Napa, California. The company employs approximately 50 people, 30 in Napa and 20 in Perryville, Missouri, where the company owns and operates a wood yard. The U.S. subsidiary is part of Seguin Moreau France, based just outside of Cognac. What began as a union of two family cooperages during the 1850s has become one of the world's largest and most prestigious, quality oak barrel makers, selling to wineries throughout the world. Seguin Moreau is part of the barrel division of OENEO, a global leader in supplying value-added products to winemakers worldwide.