Oak contact and aging are considered necessary by both winemakers and connoisseurs to vint premium quality wines from certain varietals. The problem winemakers increasingly face is the high cost of new oak barrels, particularly French oak.

Wine enthusiasts want it all. They want value, as well as vanilla, mocha and caramel flavours from fermentation and aging in new barrels. But barrels regardless of their provenance are expensive and can be used for a few vintages only. (Maximum four or five times for optimal results). This translates to $ 1.50 - 2.75 per bottle pending on the provenance and manufacturer of the barrel. The most expensive, also most revered barrel wood comes from France (Allier, Nevers, Limousin, Troncais, Vosges and Jupille), then there is American white oak, Hungarian, Romanian, Russian and of late Canadian oak from southern Ontario. (The wood is seasoned in Canada and spilt. The staves are shipped to the U S A to be assembled for barrel making and toasting upon request).

The density and grain size of Canadian oak is somewhere between American and French oak, thus representing a new possibility to reduce cost without diminishing quality.

American white oak (querqus alba) originates in Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas and Minnesota, but its coarse grain imparts a rough texture and ages wine quickly. Zinfandel, Shiraz (Syrah) and Tempranillo benefit from American oak barrel aging. Chardonnay on the other hand ages much better in tight-grained French oak.

After harvest, staves are either hand-split or machine-cut. Hand splitting is the better method. The staves are then seasoned. Seasoning may take place in the open air and last up to two years. Staves are rotated to season uniformly.

Some companies dry and season staves in specially designed ovens, but most connoisseurs and professionals agree that natural seasoning is better.

Barrel makers agree that nails used in assembly impart undesirable flavours.

Wineries can specify light -, medium-, or heavy toast. All impart a range of flavours. Most winemakers prefer light toast for white wines, and heavy toast for alcoholic, well-extracted wines.

Much like that new car smell, new barrel flavour diminishes quickly, requiring winemakers to replenish their barrel inventory.

Since wine pricing has become extremely competitive, many winemakers resort to unconventional "wood-flavour" imparting techniques that are much less expensive and give the illusion that their wine was barrel aged. Lower end wines use granular, light-toast, or dark-toast chips. All impart oak flavours, some more than others, but practically all winemakers agree that they are inferior to barrique (small 225 litre capacity barrel) aging.

During the past two decades, however, the custom of using high quality adjuncts has mushroomed throughout the wine world. Some barrel makers specialize in shaving old barrels. This may be an inexpensive way of imparting oak flavour, but certainly not recommended. The wines taste "raw", possess unpleasant "green" flavours and a rough texture.

Canadian oak seems to be suitable for Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Some winemakers age Chardonnay in French and American barrels, and blend before bottling to achieve desired taste and balance also to reduce cost.

European oak (querqus robur) is high in tannins and tight-grained, whereas American oak (querqus alba) is loose-grained and richer in vanillin. Now some European barrels manufacturers combine staves of Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Russia (Adyge region) and France in one barrel to derive the benefit of all.

A few American barrels manufacturers remove barrelheads and replace them with new ones. Others use the same technique but also affix new staves to the interior of the barrel. This is a reasonably inexpensive technique and winemakers claim to find no difference between the same wine aged in such barrels and those in conventional ones.

Still other companies install staves in stainless steel tanks to impart oak flavours. Barrels impart not only flavour, but also allow oxidation, which softens texture, reduces astringency and adds viscosity. Some winemakers install in tanks and/or huge upright casks pumps to shoot controlled amounts of oxygen in an attempt to achieve the same results.

Famous barrel manufacturers are: Seguin Moreau, Nadalie, and Taransaud (France), and Demptos, Custom Cooperage of Sonoma and Quintessence (USA), There are many other small producers in traditional wine regions (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Rioja).

Standard French barrel (barrique) is 225 litres in capacity, in Port 500 litres (pipe), and in Germany some wineries still employ huge (up to 60,000 litres capacity) casks made of hard German oak. Modern Italian winemakers prefer barriques, but old-fashioned wineries still use upright casks (botte) of 6000 to 9000 litres capacity.

Fermentation with oak chips can in a matter of weeks, deliver an intensity of oak character it would normally take one to two years to achieve in oak barrels, but these wines tend to be bitter, unpleasant, possess sawdust flavours, and show astringent tannins; all undesirable flavours and textures found in low end wines.

Unscrupulous winemakers use the "teabag" method in which chips are placed in a bag of cheesecloth, or a bag made for filtering paint; either is dipped in the tank and can be easily removed.

EU regulations severely restrict adjunct use, but New World wineries are at liberty to employ any or all of the above techniques giving them a financial advantage over European wineries.

As the French always emphasise: "We put wine into oak, but never oak in wine".

Now he consults and writes to increase wine, beer and liquor awareness. He conducts seminars and would be pleased to consider your requests. To peruse the list of his published books and order please contact him at hirayrberberoglu_3@sympatico.ca

Hryar Berberoglu www.littlefatwino.com