Page 31 - Grapevine Jan-Feb 2020

In The Winery
rels to use for different varieties and even styles
of wines. The type of wood used, size of the wood
grain and toast levels are all key factors, he says.
“I like to use French Oak primarily on higher qual-
ity fruit. French Oak tends to add nice sweetness
to the mid-palate of wines without overt oak aro-
mas and flavors. French Oak allows the fruit of the
wine to shine as well as providing sweetness to
the mouthfeel. The American Oak I like also adds
a lot of mid-palate sweetness but has more of the
roasty, toasty, marshmallow and vanilla character-
istics that’s perfect for mid to entry level wines. …
For higher tier/reserve wines, I lean more towards
French Oak (tighter grain wood). The tighter grain
wood allows for longer aging of the wine. The
oak impact is gradual/slower, so the wine can age
longer and develop flavors/aromas over a longer
period of time. For reserve quality wines, you have
more time to age unlike the $15 to $20 bottle of
wine which is made to drink ‘now’.”
The question of using staves is met with mixed
results, despite the lower costs as compared to
barrels. According to Remy, staves can be installed
in tanks, mimicking the use of barrels, adding
micro-oxygenation. He adds that the actual quality
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of today’s staves is much higher than, say, 20 years
ago, due to technology and the knowledge of how
to select better oak wood, how to season the wood
and how to apply precise toasting.
In contrast, Santo opts out of using staves and
prefers oak cubes, citing ease of use and faster
more, efficient extraction of oak impact of the
wine, while keeping aromas and a nice feel on the
palate intact.
As for oak barrel alternatives, Santo favors using
oak cubes in tanks to achieve more oak impact on
lower priced wines.
Another wood barrel alternative is Karasch’s latest
patented invention, called Squarrels. ® The play
on words describes a customizable, square, steel,
stackable barrel, using wood only where it’s need-
ed, saving winemakers time and money.
Most of these experts agree that over time, a tra-
ditional barrel loses its potential to release flavors
in wine roughly after four to six years of use. When
barrels become “neutral,” some wineries simply
use them to add the breathing factor. Once retired
from winemaking, barrels can be reconditioned for
spirits, flooring or even furniture.
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