Oak Barrels Are "Bullshit"?

Don't you hate it when people sugarcoat their words? No need to fear that from the Managing Director of Flexcube, Peter Steer. When it comes to a choice between oak barrels or the plastic wine maturation vessels produced by his company, Steer does not mince words. Discussing the wine industry's eager adaptation of technology, he tells Beverage Daily, "Winemakers recognize that barrels are bullshit."

Steer further debunks clinging to tradition for its own sake, stating in Australia's The Weekly Times, "Oak barrels are romantic but they are expensive, impractical and unsustainable."

Does the choice of vessel your wine is aged in concern you or are you in favor of whatever technological advances contribute to consistency when it comes to what ends up in your glass?