French wine barrels fetch top dollar

Jonzac, France

CRAFTED by artisans using high quality oak, "Made in France" wine barrels - in which age some of the world's most expensive wines - are selling like hot cakes abroad, with exports making up 70 per cent of the market.

The barrels house an elite club of wines, with only 2 to 4 per cent fermenting in these prized oak containers. Other wines usually age in concrete or steel tanks.