Most of the time, this blog is devoted to personal wine and food preferences, bits of information about activities and events, etc. .... but sometimes it's fun share information to help those interested in wine appreciation become a little more comfortable when they are thrown in with the connoisseurs [read: wine snobs] at certain events. So here is probably more than you want to know about oak barrels, [but, at least you'll be ready for the most obnoxious 'expert' who next crosses your path.]
Wine barrels are primarily made from white oak [red oak is too porous and the barrels will leak!]. In cellars around the world, the majority come from French or American grown trees. A couple decades ago, the most sought-after barrels were hand crafted from only French forests. More recently, however coopers using American wood have developed a reputation for producing great barrels too. [For some very esoteric palates, even the advantages of and differences among Missouri, Nevada, Minnesota, and Ohio wood is hotly debated.] .
Does the geography of where a tree grows really make that big of a difference? Yes, say most winemakers. And so do the sophisticated manufacturing techniques our coopers have adopted.
As with most aspects of wine production, nuances are important. Barrels are no exception.
The difference between wood from French and American forests is primarily in the graining of the wood: American oak tends to be wider grained than most French oak [Limousin is the exception]. In contact with liquid, wider grained wood imparts flavor and tannin more quickly – hence winemakers looking for subtle flavor profiles historically and sometimes still choose French barrels. Those looking for more aggressive wines may use American wood.
American oak contains more ‘tyloses’ [structures that make the wood more water tight]. This means staves from American barrels can be saw-cut, whereas French logs need to be split along natural contours, providing fewer staves per tree, making their barrels much more expensive to produce.
In this country, recent attention to ‘old world techniques’ have enhanced our reputation for quality. Thirty years ago, most barrels in America were used for Kentucky bourbon and discarded after a single use. That meant raw wood was kiln dried for just a couple of weeks, the staves steamed into shape and the inside of barrels were mass-charred with propane torches so they could be sold on the cheap.
Contemporary American WINE barrels are made from staves air-dried for three years or more. Open flames, controlled by sophisticated sensors are used to determine exact parameters for ‘light,’ ‘medium’ or ‘heavy’ toast, as required by each winemaker. And American coopers have truly refined shaping and hand-assembly techniques.
As I said, interesting to some of us, but more than some of you may want to know.
Wine barrels are primarily made from white oak [red oak is too porous and the barrels will leak!]. In cellars around the world, the majority come from French or American grown trees. A couple decades ago, the most sought-after barrels were hand crafted from only French forests. More recently, however coopers using American wood have developed a reputation for producing great barrels too. [For some very esoteric palates, even the advantages of and differences among Missouri, Nevada, Minnesota, and Ohio wood is hotly debated.] .
Does the geography of where a tree grows really make that big of a difference? Yes, say most winemakers. And so do the sophisticated manufacturing techniques our coopers have adopted.
As with most aspects of wine production, nuances are important. Barrels are no exception.
The difference between wood from French and American forests is primarily in the graining of the wood: American oak tends to be wider grained than most French oak [Limousin is the exception]. In contact with liquid, wider grained wood imparts flavor and tannin more quickly – hence winemakers looking for subtle flavor profiles historically and sometimes still choose French barrels. Those looking for more aggressive wines may use American wood.
American oak contains more ‘tyloses’ [structures that make the wood more water tight]. This means staves from American barrels can be saw-cut, whereas French logs need to be split along natural contours, providing fewer staves per tree, making their barrels much more expensive to produce.
In this country, recent attention to ‘old world techniques’ have enhanced our reputation for quality. Thirty years ago, most barrels in America were used for Kentucky bourbon and discarded after a single use. That meant raw wood was kiln dried for just a couple of weeks, the staves steamed into shape and the inside of barrels were mass-charred with propane torches so they could be sold on the cheap.
Contemporary American WINE barrels are made from staves air-dried for three years or more. Open flames, controlled by sophisticated sensors are used to determine exact parameters for ‘light,’ ‘medium’ or ‘heavy’ toast, as required by each winemaker. And American coopers have truly refined shaping and hand-assembly techniques.
As I said, interesting to some of us, but more than some of you may want to know.
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