Nestled among the rolling foothills of the Carpathian Mountains in Muntenia, the Coșești commune is made up of seven villages like seven gems along the Doamnei River Valley: Coșești, Jupânești, Lăpușani, Leicești, Păcioiu, Petrești, and Priseaca. Opportunities in agriculture were limited in these beautiful hilllands. Therefore, locals sought to make the most of their available resources, turning to barrel making and pottery for a living. With an increasing generational knowledge in the making of wooden barrels, and their ever-growing understanding and skills, today Coșești is the undisputed “coopering village” of Romania.  On a fine day at the onset of the summer season, while the dew is still on the grass, master Cooper Enescu Ioan wakes up very early to the sounds of crowing roosters, hens clucking, and birds perched on the fruit trees. He walks outside, past the passageway between the front and back garden, over to a heap of cattail reeds. He grabbed a handful of reeds and scattered the leaves, inspecting the softness of it. “For centuries, cattail leaves have been used to caulk barrels, thus preventing any leakage. I keep it outside to stay moist and workable,” he says. At the bottom of the garden, among thousands of … Continue reading Cooper Can Make Wooden Barrels With Eyes Closed – VIDEO