The wine and spirits industry is currently at a pivotal point where traditional methods meet modern advancements. For many years, the art of cooperage—creating barrels for aging wine—has remained relatively unchanged, despite the evolution of winemaking techniques. Today, the industry is under increasing pressure to modernize, aiming to improve wine quality, boost production efficiency, and tackle sustainability and cost issues. Innovative leaders are spearheading this change, combining age-old craftsmanship with new technologies to ensure the industry flourishes in the growing environment.
At the forefront of this change is Michael Bell, the Chief Operating Officer of Modern Cooperage. He has extensive executive management experience across various industries, including high technology, aerospace, and luxury wine. Michael is recognized as a dynamic leader who drives transformation within organizations. His time at Modern Cooperage is marked by a strong commitment to scaling operations, improving customer experiences, and building strategic partnerships. With a deep understanding of Napa Valley’s unique terroir and a successful history in both traditional and emerging markets, Michael exemplifies the visionary leadership that is shaping the future of wine aging and storage.
From Business Leader to Wine Industry Innovator
Michael’s professional journey spans over 30 years, defined by leadership roles in sales, partnerships, and operational management across diverse industries. His educational background in business management and technology provided a strong foundation for his career, enabling him to navigate both start-ups and large organizations with ease.
Throughout his career, Michael has held key positions, including Chief Partnership Officer at KeyPass and leadership roles at Oracle, where he focused on enterprise customer experience solutions. His experience in both technology and customer experience has shaped his approach to driving operational efficiency and building collaborative teams.
A lifelong passion for the wine and spirits industry inspired Michael Bell to launch his own wine label in 2020, leading him to Napa Valley. While building his wine brand, he was seeking ways to increase quality and reduce cost and a fellow Board Member recommended an innovative company which was located right in Napa. This pivotal moment led to his introduction to Jon Roleder, founder of Modern Cooperage, and the innovative Modern Cooperage barrel. “I was amazed by the product and I was intrigued by the chance to bring modern operational strategies to a field steeped in tradition and was slow to make change,” Michael shares.
Today, as Chief Operating Officer at Modern Cooperage, Michael Bell blends his operational expertise with his passion for wine. He is dedicated to honoring the industry’s heritage while introducing data-driven improvements that enhance efficiency, sustainability, and innovation.
Innovating Barrel-Making for a Sustainable Future
Modern Cooperage was founded with a clear mission: to transform the traditional craft of barrel-making by using sustainable materials and advanced technology. The company sees itself as an industry disruptor, offering a fresh approach to an age-old process. Its patented stainless-steel barrels, which use internal oak staves, offer a modern alternative to traditional wooden barrels. This design helps solve common problems such as high costs, limited durability, and environmental concerns.
At the heart of Modern Cooperage are the values of innovation, sustainability, and delivering real value to clients in the wine and spirits industry. These principles have helped the company grow steadily each year, expanding its reach across North America and into international markets. By focusing on quality and forward-thinking solutions, Modern Cooperage has become a trusted partner for many top wineries and distilleries.
The company’s motto, “Operational Excellence, Reimagined,” sums up its commitment to ongoing improvement and creativity. For Michael Bell, this idea shapes his leadership every day. He works to build a culture where people are encouraged to try new things, adapt to change, and use data to guide their decisions. This approach means constantly looking for ways to improve processes, boost quality, lower costs, reduce waste, and deliver outstanding products to clients.
Smart Barrels for Today’s Winemakers and Distillers
Balancing traditional craftsmanship with the need for modernization and efficiency is an important goal at Modern Cooperage. The company achieves this by blending modern technologies with respect for artisanal skills. Their barrels are carefully designed to look and feel much like traditional barrels, but are made from high-quality stainless steel with polished finishes that highlight both craftsmanship and quality.
These innovative barrels are built to fit on the same racks used for traditional barrels, making them easy to adopt in existing wineries. Additionally, each barrel can hold 25% more wine than standard wooden barrels. This modern approach allows Modern Cooperage to keep the familiar look that winemakers value, while also improving efficiency and offering cost savings to the industry.
Modern Cooperage Wine Barrels
Where Oak Tradition Meets Innovation:
- Precision Control: Temperature, micro-oxygenation, oak integration, evaporation
- Patented Stave Carousel: Insert up to 20 staves for custom oak flavor
- Built-in Stir Paddle: Easy bâtonnage without opening barrel
- Cost-Effective: Traditional oak benefits at lower cost
- Enhanced Wine Quality: Softer tannins, refined mouthfeel, less contamination risk
Modern Cooperage Spirits Barrels
Advanced Barrel Aging for Spirits
- Precision Oxygenation: Patented membrane allows 10mg/L/year O₂, matching new oak barrel breathing.
- Custom Oak Flavor: Holds up to 20 oak staves; use various wood types (sherry, port, cognac, rum, wine).
- Temperature Control: Integrated cooling/heating for exact aging conditions.
- Durability & Efficiency: Stainless steel lasts 30+ years; minimal evaporation, fits standard racks, 75-gallon size.
- Sustainability: 95% fewer oak trees used, 50%+ cost savings, up to 90% less water for cleaning.
- Enhanced Process: Built-in paddle for agitation, supports pressurization and accelerated aging
Turning Challenges into Opportunities
One significant challenge Michael Bell has encountered as COO is recognizing how deeply rooted in tradition many winemakers are. Some of them struggle to adapt to a new barrel design after following the same “recipe” for years. Michael viewed this as an opportunity to conduct proof-of-concept trials with these wineries, allowing them to use Modern Cooperage’s barrels under his team’s supervision.
This hands-on approach helped winemakers learn how to create a superior product, often in a shorter time frame. As a result, the process from barrel to bottle was expedited, labor costs were reduced, and cash flow improved. This method facilitated the transition of new customers to placing barrel orders and generated excitement about how Modern Cooperage’s barrels could positively influence its production in the future.
Building Trust Through Innovation and Tradition
Encouraging innovation in an industry rooted in tradition calls for open communication and clear examples of the benefits that change can bring. Modern Cooperage makes it a priority to involve its customers—winemakers and distillers—in important decisions, always welcoming their feedback and new ideas.
By sharing real success stories and offering proof of how its products work, the company builds trust and shows that innovation and tradition can work well together. This approach respects the craft and helps create high-quality products that benefit everyone involved.
How Modern Cooperage Connects with Global Markets?
Since joining Modern Cooperage, Michael Bell has been instrumental in helping the company grow into global markets such as Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia. As the company introduces its unique barrels to these new regions, Michael has created a series of promotional and educational videos to share the company’s story and explain its products to a wider audience.
To make sure winemakers and distillers everywhere understand the benefits, these materials are being translated into different languages. The videos clearly show how Modern Cooperage’s barrels can help reduce production costs and improve efficiency, making the information easy for everyone to understand. At the same time, the company is investing in training its employees, helping them learn new skills so they can keep up with the latest technologies and serve customers around the world.
Modern Cooperage has not yet added automation, or artificial intelligence to its daily operations. The main focus has been on making the manufacturing process more efficient. However, there are plans to introduce robotics in the future, especially to help with welding tasks.
Even as Modern Cooperage embraces new technology and modern ways of working, the company stays true to its artisanal roots. The team is dedicated to making high-quality, custom products in a way that can be scaled up to meet the needs of a growing global market.
Building a Skilled and Happy Team
Attracting talent in a specialized industry like wine and spirits requires finding team members who possess in-depth knowledge of production and maturation processes. Since Modern Cooperage collaborates closely with its clients, team members often serve as consultants, helping clients understand and utilize the unique features of their barrels. Sharing insights that improve clients’ products is a fulfilling experience.
To retain skilled employees, Modern Cooperage offers continuous learning opportunities, fosters a collaborative culture, and recognizes the contributions of its team to the company’s success. Above all, the company values having fun. Creating some of the finest wines and spirits in the world is rewarding, and clients enjoy sharing their successes and finished products with the team.
The Next Chapter for Modern Cooperage
Over the next five to ten years, Michael Bell sees Modern Cooperage growing its presence around the world and continuing to lead in creating sustainable barrel-making solutions. The company is planning to launch several new and innovative products, including barrels in different sizes to meet the needs of more customers.
As Modern Cooperage expands, Michael Bell’s main focus will be on leading important projects, building strong partnerships, and making sure the company’s operations support its growth goals. He is dedicated to keeping the quality of the products high while also helping the team grow to support the company’s future success.
An Open Letter to Aspiring Leaders in the Wine and Spirits Industry
Dear Aspiring Leaders,
As we move through 2025, the wine and spirits industry is experiencing significant changes, from market consolidation to uncertainties surrounding tariffs that affect imports and exports. If you are looking to enter this exciting field, I encourage you to be adaptable and embrace innovation at every opportunity.
Do not hesitate to challenge the status quo; it is essential for driving progress. Building strong relationships is key, so I recommend getting involved with various associations that support small businesses in our industry.
Finally, remember that meaningful change often com es from respecting the traditions of the past while keeping an eye on the future.
Wishing you all the best in your journey,
Michael Bell
COO, Modern Cooperage
