Oak Barrels vs. Oak Alternatives: Is There a Difference?

There is something wonderful about those smoky, toasted notes in a well-aged, oaky Cabernet, or those warm, vanilla flavors in that velvety oaked Chardonnay. 

Oak flavors express richness to our taste buds, while imparting smoothness to our drink.  But oak aged wines are not cheap to make, nor, many times, to buy. So, does oak aging really matter? Is the manner in which the oak flavor is imparted into the wine of any real importance?  Read on and decide for yourself…

Oak aging a wine can be an expensive proposition.  First, there’s the cost of the oak barrels (upwards to $900 for a high quality French Oak barrel.) Keep in mind that barrels can only be used three or four times before the flavors are leached out.

Now figure in the cost of barrel upkeep, barrel storage, and barrel maintenance.  All are important elements that factor into the cost of the wine. And that cost is then passed on to the consumer who purchases that wonderfully oaky wine.  But we, as consumers, have created a conundrum for the winemaker – we want rich, oaky wines, but at low price points we can afford for everyday consumption.  What’s a wine maker to do? There are oak alternatives, but are we willing to embrace them?

Oak has been used in winemaking for thousands of years.  Oak barrel usage became widespread during the Roman Empire as a way to protect wine while in storage.  In the 1500’s, European winemakers discovered that these wooden barrels not only provided great storage and transportation options, but that certain woods also gave some of the wines a better flavor, and a softer approach.

By the early 1700’s, the French had discovered that of all the types of oak, it was the white oak barrels that imparted the best flavors to a wine during aging.  White oak barrels have continued to be the mainstay for aging wines in for over two hundred years. 

And oak barrels offer the tightest grained wood, allowing the least amount of wine to be lost due to evaporation.  When deciding on an oak barrel, the winemaker must consider where the barrel is from. What is the toast level (the charring inside)?  How did the cooperage craft the barrel? How was the wood dried?  All of these points can affect the wine’s appearance, flavors, and aromas.

Robert Mondavi has been credited with experimenting with different types of oak to achieve different flavor profiles during his research in the 1960’s and 70’s in California.  American oak barrels impart more intense flavors and are perfect for big, bold reds.  Toast levels will also affect the wine; a light toast may impart a coconut or vanilla flavor while a darker toast can bring out a more caramel or smoky taste.  All are important factors to consider when selecting what type and toast to use.

But those decisions are not made lightly. Oak barrels are not cheap to make, purchase, or use.  Oak barrels vary in gallonage and price.  A commercial winery, making 5,000 gallons of wine a year, can easily spend over $130,000 for barrels. Regardless of the size, each barrel can only be used a few times before the oak flavors have leached out and deteriorated.  Then it’s time to purchase new cooperage.

In order to present a wine with those sought-after oaky characteristics at a nominal price point, alternatives must to be considered, and winemakers turned to the alcohol spirit world for ideas.

Alcohol spirit makers (Bourbon, whiskey, etc) had already done the experimentation that led to the development of oak chips, oak powder, and oak staves.  These oak barrel alternatives could be added to a spirit aging in a stainless steal tank, and those beloved oaky flavors would still evolve. Winemakers saw the possibilities, and thought they had an answer.

Unfortunately, wine barrel purists were not impressed.  Their outcry brought about dismissal press reviews, and a negative reception by the wine drinking public.  It had the makings of a reputation disaster for any winery that admitted to using oak chips in their wines.

It was not until 1993, after micro-oxygenation methods were developed (this method imitated the process that occurs in wines aged in oak barrels,) that the use of oak chips in wine was finally legalized in the US.  In Europe, it was illegal to use oak alternatives until 2005.  However, winemakers in both countries were using these alternatives years before they were allowed to by law.

But old beliefs die hard.  Even today, if you ask winemakers in key wine-making states like California, New York, or Washington how they oak their mass-produced dry reds, almost everyone will tell you that oak chips are involved.  But most will not want you to advertise that fact because that wine is still viewed as being of a poorer quality than wine aged in an oak barrel.  The disapproving mindset against oak alternatives still exists today, with many seeing it as a form of cheating.

But let’s be realistic, there are advantages to using oak alternatives instead of barrels. 

Oak chips have a better environmental impact; an oak tree can produce only a few barrels, oak alternatives made from one tree can be used to craft hundreds of bottles of wine.

Oak chips are considered to be one of the cleanest ways to get those oaky flavors into a wine.  Simply put the correct amount of chips into a nylon or mesh bag and place it in the tank.  When the period of time has elapsed for the desired oaky flavors to be achieved, the bag is removed and no residue is left behind in the wine.  The wines are clearer and brighter with a more stable color.

Oak also imparts subtle flavors to the wine.  When using oak chips, a winemaker can experiment with different toast levels and oak varieties, to get different results at a much-reduced cost as compared to using barrels.

Oak chips are inexpensive.  Barrels are expensive.  More labor is involved for the same amount of gallonage when using oak barrels, than when using tanks with oak chips or staves. Oak chips are a great way to help a winemaker deliver a high-quality oaked wine at an attractive price.

Oak chips can actually speed up the winemaking process since the intensity of the oaky flavors can be more controlled with chips.  This will also affect the color, flavor, aroma, and style of the wine that is influenced by the type of oak used.

But, in the end, it is the winemaker’s prerogative how to add oak to a wine.  Although oak barrels bring to mind deep traditions and evoke feelings of quality, a wine consumer might not be able to really tell the difference. 

And considering that winemakers have been using some type of oak alternative for years, even concurrently with their oak barrels, maybe its time to bring the use of oak chips out into the mainstream, and accept them.

~ Joy

First Blog-a-versary

This week marks the first blog-a-versary for Joy’s JOY of Wine.  It’s been a year that has passed very quickly, but I’ve enjoyed it immensely!

I began this blog as a way to share my passion for wine.  Having owned a winery for over ten years, and worked in the industry for a few more, I wanted to find a way to share some of what I’ve learned about wine with other like-minded enthusiasts.

But wine blogging is not for the faint-of-heart!  What began as a novel idea in the early years of this century has grown tremendously.  In 2009, less than 800 wine blogs were said to exist and almost 600 of those were written in English.  Today, you can find wine blogs being written across the globe, in French, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Japanese, German, Indonesian, a plethora of languages – all sharing information and a love of wine.

Wine blogging has become so popular; it has its own awards.  The Wine Blog Awards http://wineblogawards.org are awarded each year in various categories for excellence in wine blogging.

There is also a wine bloggers conference held each year. Since 2008, the Wine Bloggers’ Conference http://winebloggersconference.org has been held in several US cities.  This year it will be held in Penticton, BC from June 6^th through the 8th.

Both events were created with the assistance of long-time wine blogger Tom Wark who writes Fermentation, The Daily Wine Blog http://fermentationwineblog.com; one I “grew up” reading.

Wine blogs are written throughout the world by industry publications, wine professionals, wineries, wine shops, and consumers. 

But while there are numerous wine blogs, they are not all the same. Different genres offer different insights and observations into the world of wine. One of the most influential of all wine blogs is Vinography http://www.vinography.com where Adler Yarrow shares his thoughts and explorations into the world of wine.

According to research compiled by Liz Thach for the 5th International Academy of Wine Business Research Conference in 2010, at least a third of the wine blogs out there are written solely to review wines. One of the best is Ken’s Wine Guide http://kenswineguide.com written by Ken Hoggins.

Other wine blogs may be more industry-related, dealing with wine and wine business such as Wine Business Monthly http://www.winebusiness.com, and The Gray Report http://blog.wblakegray.com written by W. Blake Gray and winner of the 2012 Best Industry blog.

A popular blogging twosome deals with food and wine.  This type of blog can offer wine and food pairing suggestions, recipes on how to prepare certain wine-friendly foods, and even propose restaurants that offer a particular type of food and wines that will go well with it.  Most are local/regionally orientated.  Check out Food & Wine magazine for suggestions http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs.

Wine blogs may also be about certain regions or a specific country. Wine Terriors www.wineterroirs.com written by French photographer, Bertrand Celce takes a look at the French wine regions. On the Wine Trail in Italy http://acevola.blogspot.com by Alphoso Cevola is another great one.

Wine blogs can also be written by wineries as a way to tell about the wines they have available, to offer tasting notes, and keep readers up-to-date on events happening at that specific winery. The 2012 Wine Blog winner in this category was Jordan Winery, http://blog.jordanwinery.com.

Or, by the winemakers themselves who describe their vineyard practices, winemaking process, and give details on their latest releases. John M. Kelly does a wonderful job with Notes from the Winemaker http://www.winemakernotesblog.com

And then there are the wine blogs that attempt to inform and educate readers about wine, its culture, and its history. The most popular in this category is Dr Vino http://www.drvino.com, written by Tyler Colman.  (This is the niche that I have happily written Joys JOY of Wine for.)

So many people have shared comments with me on Facebook and LinkedIn.  That has helped me to keep adjusting and researching what you’ve said you’d like to know more about.

So as I begin this second year blogging about wine, its culture and educational aspects, I’d like to say Thank You for reading, joining, following, and liking Joy’s JOY of Wine.  You can keep up with my latest on 
Blogger @ http://joysjoyofwine.blogspot.com

Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/JoysJoyofWine

Twitter @ https://twitter.com/vnogrl

Now, let’s raise a glass to another year’s adventures into the world of wine!  Enjoy!!

~ Joy

Decanting Wine – Is it Necessary?

Decanting is something some wine lovers enjoy doing, while others like to debate the pros and cons.  Does it matter?  It seems everyone has an opinion.

When you decant a wine, you pour it (decanting) into another container (decanter) for two reasons; to filter off the sediment so the wine is not gritty or bitter, and/or to allow it to ‘breathe’ by mixing air with the wine to liven up it’s flavors and aromas.

Decanting for Sediment -

Most young wines sold today in the US, do not need to be decanted for sediment.  The winemaking process clarifies and filters wines before they are bottled.  However, some ‘natural’ wines may contain sediment since they are not filtered in any way before bottling. White wines that are unfiltered will appear cloudy or hazy in appearance.

Older red wines, like Cabernets, Zinfandels, Syraz, and Ports, may have sediment, which occurs naturally as certain wines age.  Sediment may be found in the bottom of the bottle and looks like mud, or thick grit.  Removing this before serving will make the wine presentation much nicer and also help eliminate the dry, bitter flavors that come from the sediment.

How:

Decanting a wine is not difficult, regardless of what you may have read, or been told.  Some wine lovers use special equipment such as a wine cradle and candle, but all you really need is a steady hand and another container (decanter) to pour the wine in.

Begin by letting the wine bottle stand upright for two or three days so the sediment goes to the bottom.  Pour the wine slowly into another container.  When the sediment begins to gather in the shoulder and neck of the bottle slow the pour even more, allowing sediment more to gather there.  The wine bottle is actually made to catch this sediment when the wine is poured slowly.

Decanting for Aeration -

When you aerate a wine, you are allowing air into it.  This is also known as allowing it to ‘breathe.’  The air allows the release of more aromas and flavors.  It is said that aeration also allows the tannins to ‘soften’, but that is debated in the industry.  The wines that benefit most from aeration are, again, the heavy reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Port.

Aeration may help a young, lackluster wine by brightening the taste.  It may also help a wine that has a slight, unappealing order.  This can be a common problem with ‘natural’ wines.  After allowed to breathe, these wines may become more palatable. If they become worse, dump the bottle as it may be corked.

How:

To aerate a wine, simply pour it from the bottle into a decanter.  This does not need to be a special wine decanter, but simply a container with a wide bottom that will allow the surface air to mix with the wine.  Just pulling the cork will not allow enough air to reach the wine in the bottle. 

Decanting times vary depending on the wine.  For a young wine, let it breathe for 20 minutes, up to an hour.  For an older wine, try 10 or 15 minutes. The longer an older wine aerates, the more the flavors can deteriorate. Vintage Ports may be allowed to ‘breathe’ longer.

If you’re not sure how long to aerate, check the wine by pouring a splash into a glass and tasting it every 15 minutes.  Aeration is supposed to liven up the wine, making it taste more vibrant, more flavorful.  Just be careful not to decant for too long because the flavors can disappear.

Remember, most wines are to be consumed within a couple of years of their release.  While aeration might help them, it is not mandatory.  The best way to find out is to experiment.

In the end, the decision to decant is best made according to each bottle.  Decanting for sediment makes sense to avoid a mouthful of bitter grit.  Aerating a wine is more of a personal preference.  If you find that you enjoy a certain wine more when it’s decanted, then feel free to do it.  If you really can’t tell the difference, then don’t worry about it.  Wine is meant to be enjoyed, so forget the “rules” and enjoy it the way YOU like it!!

~ Joy