Definition: Piece

It represents the unit of wine stored in a barrel. For example, a pièce contains 205 litres in Champagne, while in Burgundy, a pièce is equivalent to a standard barrel with a capacity of 228 litres, or the equivalent of 24 to 25 cases of 12 bottles. Also used in the Loire Valley (approx. 220 litres), in the Mâconnais (215 litres), in the Rhône Valley (225 litres), and only 132 litres in Chablis, where the cellars are smaller.