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To Barrel or Not to Barrel? Alternatives for Oaking Your Wine

To Barrel or Not to Barrel? Alternatives for Oaking Your Wine

Posted by Matteo Lahm on 28th Jan 2023

Oak has been an important part of winemaking for centuries, and its influence can be felt in many of the world's most beloved wines. Oak aging, or barrel aging, gives wines complex flavors and aromas that can enhance the fruit and spice characters of your wine, as well as add complexity. For all the romance and allure of barrels, most home winemakers do not have the capacity to utilize them. However, oak chips, cubes and spirals are faster, easier, cheaper alternatives that even have a few advantages. So how do you choose your oak, how are they different and for how long should they be in your wine?

There are three main types of oak used in winemaking: American, French, and Hungarian. All have different characteristics, and can be used to create unique and delicious wine styles. When selecting your oak, it is important to understand the way different oak types will interact with your wine and how they contribute to your finished product.

American oak is known for imparting strong flavors and aromas of caramel, coconut, and vanilla to wines. Its bold characteristics can be used to balance out the more subtle flavors of light-bodied wines such as Pinot Noir and Riesling. American oak also pairs well with full-bodied reds, like Cabernet Sauvignon, as its bold flavors can enhance the fruit character and spicy notes.

French oak is known for its more subtle flavors and aromas and is often used for aging Chardonnay. Its light, subtle character adds complexity to the wine without overpowering the fruit and spice notes. It also pairs well with Pinot Noir and other light-bodied reds, where its subtle flavors can add additional complexity without being overpowering.

Hungarian oak is known for its spicy, toasted aromas and flavors, and is often used for aging full-bodied reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It also pairs very well with Sangiovese. One of the legal requirements for Sangiovese to be classified as Brunello is Hungarian oak barrel aging. Its bold flavor and aroma can add complexity that can be missing in other oak types.

Each of these oak types has its own unique characteristics, and understanding how they interact with different wine varietals is key to creating delicious and complex wines. By understanding the nuances of each oak type, you can create unique and delicious wine styles that are sure to please.

The toasting of oak is also important in terms of flavor. Lightly toasted oak gives the wine sweet, smoky, and spicy flavors, while heavily toasted oak gives the wine more caramel, coffee, and chocolate flavors. Medium is the most versatile as you can vary your results depending on exposure.

As for how to oak your wine, let’s first talk about the behemoth of vessels: the barrel. They are pretty and sexy but, barrel aging is an involved process that requires a series of barrels ranging from new to old if you want the full benefits.

For flavoring, you must be very careful with new oak barrels. Your wine cannot sit in one of them for very long without overdoing it. This becomes more problematic with smaller barrels because of the surface area per ratio to the volume of fluid. A new small oak barrel can over oak your wine in just a few weeks. As barrels get reused, their flavor diminishes allowing you to keep your wine in them for longer.

It is important to note that barrel aging and oak flavoring are not necessarily the same process.

Micro-oxidation is something you can only get from a barrel and that comes from long term aging in neutral barrels. They become neutral as they are reused as wine will continue to extract the flavors. The porousness of the wood allows small amounts of air in and some fluid evaporation. This concentrates the wine a bit more and speeds up the aging process. This can involve frequent transfer, space and a lot of work. It will also take time for you to acquire various barrels to be able to do this unless you are able to work in 55-gallon batches. With larger scale barrel aging, used barrels are readily available because they are the standard size for wineries and distilleries. Smaller barrels however can often only be purchased new.

Unless you have the cash, space, volume, patience and time, a barrel aging system is not really viable for the home winemaker. Cleaning and storing them is a whole other conversation as well.

So, if you cannot work with barrels and you make wine, especially reds (with few exceptions,) you definitely want to oak your wine. Thankfully, oak chips, cubes and spirals are easy alternatives that will give you almost everything you can get from a barrel.

Oak spirals are thin strips of oak that are inserted into a carboy or demijohn. Oak cubes are small blocks of oak that can fit almost any sized vessel. Cubes have a larger surface area than spirals, so they can impart more oak flavor in a shorter period of time. The advantages and disadvantages of both methods depend on your preferences and your vessel size. You can use cubes in gallon jugs but not spirals. Some consider spirals to be advantageous because they are slower than cubes. They have less surface area and are a little more expensive. However, slower oaking does cut the risk of over oaking your wine. A big advantage to both cubes and spirals over barrels is that you can combine flavors at the same time.

Depending on your desired flavor profile and the amount of toasting, oak cubes or spirals should be left in the fermenter for 3-4 weeks for light oak flavor, 4-6 weeks for medium oak flavor, and 6-8 weeks for a more intense oak flavor. It is very important you taste your wine regularly. Putting oak in is easy, getting it out is impossible. The only solution to overly oaked wine is to add wine that has not been oaked or waiting for a longer amount of time to consume to allow the oak to become more subtle over time. If you don’t have any of that laying around, you might have a problem.

As for how to decide beyond researching how various types will affect your wine is simply to taste it. If you have different types of oak, taste your wine and touch your tongue with a small piece for a few seconds. You will be able to taste the difference. Clear your pallet and try another. Don’t be afraid to let your taste buds weigh in on the debate before finalizing your selection. In the end, choose what you like. 

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