It's an open secret in the wine business. Most, if not all, of the largest wine companies are doing it. It's a trend seen in popularly priced wines, one that consumers are unaware of: the growing use of barrel alternatives. Winemakers are quick to point out that they will always use barrels, especially for their more expensive wines. But many agree a shift is occurring. As the chief executive of one of the largest privately held U.S. wine companies put it, "The wine doesn't know how the woo...