First Press, a premium collection from CALI’s Barrel Trilogy, showcases hardwood’s authenticity and the warmth it brings into the home. This, emphasized Doug Jackson, CALI CEO, is real wood.

“People want real,” explained Jackson. “They’re tired of floors that look manufactured and sterile. They want natural character with grains, textures and warm tones that feel lived-in. The design community is reaching for that same authenticity. That’s exactly what we set out to capture with First Press,” he said.

With its high-end character showcased the soothing flow of grain, knots and warmth that makes European white oak such an in-demand wood, First Press features a surface texture that’s truer to its timber and delivers a veritable biophilic experience.

The Best of the Batch

In keeping with the thematic story that the Barrel Trilogy offers, First Press derives its name from winemaking, echoing the first press of grapes that produces a superior quality juice that is then used to craft premium wines.

Naturally, CALI’s First Press collection also offers a premium product. As Jackson explained, “First Press is our premium European white oak in what we call the Barrel Trilogy. It comes in everything from light naturals and taupes to rich brown tones, in extra-wide, extra-long planks.”

Alongside it, he said, comes its sister collections, Barrel — a bestselling oak with an easy-to-design color palette — and Varietals, which offers species like ash, acacia, maple, and hickory that are left unstained to capture natural characteristics. Together, said Jackson, “they cover every style and budget, with First Press as the crown jewel.”

This crown jewel took home Floor Covering Weekly’s Dealers’ Choice 2026 Award for Hardwood, with retailers reacting to its craftsmanship. “This is a floor that people respond to. CALI stands out on a showroom floor,” said Jackson.

And, when accompanied by Varietals and Barrel in their recognizable wine-barrel displays, he said, “customers feel something and recognize it before reading the name. For the retailer, that’s a brand people are already drawn to, backed by premium quality at the best value per square foot. Put CALI on your floor,” Jackson reported “and we’ll help you close more sales.”

Natural Look, Natural Beauty

Keeping First Press as close to the timber it’s harvested from was key to the philosophy behind it. What this does, said Jackson, is not only allows the floor to look unaltered, but also makes the floor feel genuine underfoot.

Jackson explained, “It comes down to how we treat the wood. With First Press, we enhanced the figuring to bring out depth and movement in the grain, and we contoured the knots and bevels so each plank feels hand-finished, not stamped out of a machine.”

This, he elaborated, gives First Press its pristine qualities. “A lot of what’s on the market chases uniformity. We let every plank have its own personality. That’s what makes a First Press floor unique, and it’s a big part of why it stood out to dealers this year,” he said.

“Let the wood be wood. That’s the whole idea behind First Press. We don’t want to hide what makes hardwood beautiful. We want to celebrate it. The sculpted textures, the contoured knots, the crafted bevels — they showcase the oak’s natural character. It’s hardwood with hand. Real wood, expressed honestly.”  — Doug Jackson