The Boswell Company is an entrepreneurial
wine barrel business in San Rafael, California.
Our staff consists of Jim Boswell, Patrick Dobbins,
Tim Olson, Julie Pickering, and Sally Fish.
In 2010, The Boswell Company offers new barrels from Tonnellerie de MERCUREY in Burgundy, Tonnellerie Jean-Louis BOSSUET in Cognac, Tonnellerie MARGO in Romania, and Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Boswell Company is service oriented, committed to quality, and responsive under any circumstances. Communication with our French coopers, Tonnellerie de Mercurey and Tonnellerie Jean-Louis Bossuet, is direct and without intermediaries. Our goal is to serve discriminating winemakers who enjoy the results of using good barrels from specialized coopers. Additionally, doing business with Boswell Company should be pleasurable for the mind, body, and spirit.
History of the Company
In 1975, the company began selling new Sirugue French oak barrels from Nuits-Saint-Georges in Burgundy. Dick Graff of Chalone Vineyard mentored our activities in those early days. Subsequent cooperage sales projects included Tonnellerie Radoux, Mendocino Cooperage, Tonnellerie Berger, and Winemakers Cooperage.
The practice of toasting the heads of new barrels was introduced by Jim Boswell with Tonnellerie Radoux
in 1987.
After more than 30 years experience, our mission is to supply
winemaking clients with new French, American, and
Romanian oak barrels from family owned companies
who produce less than 80 barrels per day.
These moderately sized companies operate with integrity
and traceability because their oak is sourced directly.
Air-dried regimes are properly executed and toasting
procedures are like an art. Our coopers are a wonderful
alternative to mammoth industrial cooperages.
In 1981, Jim’s brother-in-law, Jacques Seysses of
Domaine Dujac in Burgundy, suggested our company
pioneer silicone rubber barrel bungs to the
American wine industry. The wine bung revolution
followed when almost every winery in the country
bought Boswell silicone bungs and replaced their
wooden bungs. Our premium bungs remain the
industry standard to this day.
Other innovations The Boswell Company introduced to the wine industry include stainless steel stirring rods, French glass wine thieves, sponge rubber hose cleaning balls, foot valves for racking wands, and Bulldog’s Pup gas racking wands.