Sylvain is a cooper or barrel-maker (‘tonnellerie’) based in the commune of Saint-Denis-de-Pile on the right bank of the Bordeaux region in France.

Background: In 1957, Gérard Sylvain, opened his first barrel-repair workshop in the centre of Libourne. His son Jean-Luc Sylvain joined the family firm in the 1980s, adding his knowledge and experience of engineering to the family business. This led to the barrel repair workshop becoming a production facility and, in 1984, Jean-Luc Sylvain founded SARL Tonnellerie Sylvain. The boom in the 1990s allowed the company to grow further and become better-equipped. In 1991, to cope with this expansion, Tonnellerie Sylvain moved from Libourne to the nearby township of Saint-Denis-de-Pile. The company is now run by the third generation and in 2018 was producing around 33,000 barrels annually (30% sold in France, 70% abroad), or 120 barrels per working day.

Biodynamic barrels: In 2018 it was reported that Sylvain had developed a “Biodynamic” barrel by splitting, joining, assembling and toasting the oak on ‘fruit days‘ and ‘flower days‘ following the sidereal moon cycle (see celestial cycles). In fact a true Biodynamic barrel would have come from forests or trees which had been treated with Biodynamic compost and sprays over a period of three years, as explained in this Biodynamics 101.