People
At Tonnellerie Ô, our expert coopers are joined by an equally experienced and devoted team of sales, service and support professionals.
Jason Butler, Master Cooper
Jason, our veteran Master Cooper, leads Tonnellerie Ô with the finely honed skills and expertise he’s acquired over years of
making and servicing barrels in France and America.
Seventeen years ago, when Jason stepped into his first cooperage, he knew instantly it would become his life’s work. With fourteen
years of woodworking experience already under his belt, he took that first cooperage job jointing staves, unaware of the extreme
levels of expertise he had yet to master in order to build fine wine barrels.
Today, in establishing and leading a world-class cooperage committed to setting new standards for French oak barrels, Jason is
experiencing the fulfillment of his life’s dream. From its inception, Jason has involved himself deeply in every aspect of
Tonnellerie Ô — driving strategic vision, architecting design, directing construction, selecting equipment, sourcing oak, coaching
his team of handpicked coopers and, of course, crafting barrels and servicing wineries.
Jason believes it’s essential for today’s coopers to develop their abilities far beyond the craftsman’s skills
their forefathers possessed — to encompass an understanding of issues ranging from forestry to winemaking. Jason devotes great
attention to the French forests and stave yards, and to tracking his raw materials from origin through barrel production and winemaking.
Jason follows his barrels for years after they leave his hands, in order to observe the affect and consistency of his barrels on
different wines.
Possessing a pioneering spirit unique to first generation coopers, Jason celebrates the timeless tradition of barrel making by combining
once-lost artisanal techniques with the best new innovations to produce the most consistent, high-quality barrels available...anywhere.
Andrea Tary, Sales Consultant
A graduate from the University of California, Davis, Andrea has worked in wine since 1997. As a member of distinguished winemaking teams at some of the
best-known wineries in Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley, including Gloria Ferrer and Markham Vineyards, Andrea routinely coordinated and participated in
blending, tasting, trialing and other winemaking processes.
Since 2008, Andrea has devoted herself to selling oak for wine. Andrea skillfully combines her passion for wine with her experienced discipline, which
includes an understanding of the winemaking process and what it takes to turn a good wine into a great wine, a trained wine palate and ability to
recognize nuances in wine, and a technical knowledge of how oak integrates with wine.
Winemakers rely on Andrea’s recommendations and guidance to assist them in making well-informed decisions in their purchase and use of oak
for wine.
Andrea serves wineries in California, Washington, the East Coast and Canada.