Used Oak Wine Barrels

Contact

Used Oak Wine Barrels

The use of oak in wine plays a significant role in winemaking and can have a profound effect on the resulting wine, affecting the color, flavor, tannin profile and texture of the wine. Oak can come into contact with wine in the form of a barrel during the fermentation or aging periods. It can be introduced to the wine in the form of free-floating oak chips or as wood staves (or sticks) added to wine in a fermentation vessel like stainless steel. Oak introduced in the form of a wine barrel can impart other qualities to the wine through the process of evaporation and low level exposure to oxygen.

History

In early wine history, the amphora was the vessel of choice for the storage and transportation of wine. Due to the perishable nature of wood material it is difficult to trace the usage of barrels in history. The Greek historian Herodotus noted that ancient Mesopotamians used barrels made of palm wood to transport wine along the Euphrates. Palm is a difficult material to bend and fashion into barrels, however, and wine merchants in different regions experimented with different wood styles to find a better wood source. The use of oak has been prevalent in winemaking for at least two millennia, first coming into widespread use during the Roman empire. In time, winemakers discovered that beyond just storage convenience that wine kept in oak barrels took on properties that improved the wine by making it softer and in some cases better-tasting. Robert Mondavi is credited with expanding the knowledge of winemakers in the United States about the different types of oak and barrel styles through his experimentation in the 1960s & 1970s.

Effects on wine

The porous nature of an oak barrel allows some levels of evaporation and oxygenation to occur in wine but typically not at levels that would cause oxidation or spoilage of the wine. In a year, the typical 59-gallon barrel can lose anywhere from 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 gallons of wine through the course of evaporation. This evaporation (of mostly alcohol and water) allows the wine to concentrate its flavor and aroma compounds. Small amounts of oxygen are allowed to pass through the barrel and acts as a softening agent upon the tannins of the wine.

The chemical properties of oak itself can have a profound effect on the wine. Phenols within the wood interact with the wine to produce vanilla type flavors and can give the impression of tea notes or sweetness. The degree of "toast" on the barrel can also impart different properties affecting the tannin levels of the wine as well as the aggressive wood flavors. The hydrolyzable tannins present in wood, known as ellagitannins, are derived from lignin structures in the wood. They help protect the wine from oxidation and reduction.

Wines can be barrel fermented in oak or they can be placed in oak after fermentation for a period of aging or maturation. Wine that is matured in oak receives more of the oak flavors and properties than wine that is fermented in oak. This is because yeast cells interact with and "latch on" to the oak components. When the dead yeast cells are removed from the wine as lees some of these oak properties go with them. A characteristic of white wines that are fermented in oak include a pale color with an extra silky texture. White wines that are fermented in steel and then matured in oak will have a darker coloring due to the heavy phenolic compounds that are still present. Flavor notes that are common descriptions of wines exposed to oak include caramel, cream, smoke, spice and vanilla. Chardonnay is a variety that has very distinct flavor profiles when fermented in oak that include coconut, cinnamon and cloves notes. The "toastiness" of the barrel can bring out varying degrees of mocha and toffee notes in red wine.

The length of time that a wine spends in the barrel is dependent on the varietal and style of wine that the winemaker wishes to make. The majority of oak flavoring is imparted in the first few months that the wine is in contact with oak but a longer term exposure can affect the wine through the light aeration that the barrel allows which helps to precipitate the phenolic compounds and quickens the aging process of the wine. New World Pinot noir may spend less than a year in oak. Premium Cabernet Sauvignon may spend two years. The very tannic Nebbiolo grape may spend four or more years in oak. High end Rioja producers will sometimes age their wines up to ten years in American oak to get a desired earthy, vanilla character.

Oak types and sources

The species of oak typically used for American oak production is the Quercus alba which is a white oak species that is characterized by its relatively fast growth, wider grains and lower wood tannins. It is found in most of the Eastern United States as well as Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin where many wine barrels are from. In Oregon the Quercus garryana white oak has started to gain usage due to its closer similarities to European oak. In France, the main winemaking oak species is the Quercus petraea which is known for tighter grain, high tannins and lower aromatics than its American oak counterpart. French oak typically comes from one or more primary forests: Allier, Limousin, Nevers, Troncais and Vosges. The wood from each of these forests has slightly different characteristics. Many winemakers utilize barrels made from different cooperages, regions and degrees of toasting in blending their wines to enhance the complexity of the resulting wine.

Italian winemakers have had a long history of using Slovenian oak from the Quercus robur which is known for its tight grain, low aromatics and medium level tannins. Prior to the Russian Revolution, Quercus petraea oak from the Baltic states was the most highly sought after wood for French winemaking. Today Russian oak from the Adygey region along the Black Sea is being explored by French winemakers as a cheaper alternative to French oak. Canadian wineries have been experimenting with the use of Canadian oak, which proponents describe as a middle ground between American and French oak even though it is the same species as American oak.

Oak trees are typically between 80-120 years old prior to harvesting with the ideal conditions being a cool climate in a dense forest region that gives the trees opportunity to mature slowly and develop a tighter grain. Typically one tree can provide enough wood for two 59 gallon barrels. The trees are typically harvested in the winter months when there is less sap in the trunk.

Differences in French and American oak

American oak tends to be more intensely flavoured than French oak with more sweet and vanilla overtones due to the American oak having two to four times as many lactones. Winemakers that prefer American oak typically use them for bold, powerful reds or warm climate Chardonnays. Besides being derived from different species, a major difference between American and French comes from the preparation of the oak. The tighter grain and less watertight nature of French oak encourages coopers to split the wood along the grain rather than saw. French oak is then traditionally aged or "seasoned" for at least two years whereas American coopers will often use a kiln-dry method to season the wood. Long periods of outdoor season has a mellowing effect on the oak that kiln-dry methods have difficulties replicating. The sawing, rather than splitting, of American oak also enhances the differences between the two styles due to the rupture of the xylem cells in the wood which releases many of the vanillin aromatics and lactones responsible for characteristics like the coconut notes.

Wine barrel

Green Reclaimed Recycled Old Wine Barrels - Oak Used ...

We provide New,Green, Recycled,and Used Oak Wine Barrels for sale from the Historic Napa Valley Wine Country for planters and decoration Call 866-75-Barrels

...

Canadian Oak Wine Barrels

Created for the amateur wine maker these barrels ... 11 L Wine Barrel] [7.5 L Wine Barrel] [4 L Wine Barrel] [Toasting Options] [Oak Alternatives] [Whiskey Barrels] [Used Barrels] [ ...

...

Wine Barrel Classifieds

Winebusiness.com Classfieds - Used equipment, barrels, grapes and bulk wine, and winejobs.com - The ... 2006 Tonnellerie Radoux (White) French Oak Barrels

...

Rain Barrel made from Reclaimed Recycled Green Oak Used Wine Barrels

Rain Barrels from Used Wine Barrels. This is the most Eco-friendly way to preserve Rain Water for your plants, animals, or even your hair. Made from authentic Napa Valley

...

Oak barrels - Whiskey barrels - Wine barrels - Wine making supplies ...

Premium Wine Oak Barrels Every oak barrel is made out of bent planks of oak (called staves). Only the highest quality of oak is used in the oak barrels we sell, and the staves ...

...

Oak (wine) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some New World wine makers use the large hogshead 79 gallon (300 liter) size. [8] New barrels impart more flavors than do previously used barrels. Over time many of the oak properties ...

...

Canadian-Oak

Quality Wine Barrels Made from Canadian White Oak

...

Oak Wine Barrels

Wine Barrels, Oak Wine Barrels, Wine Barrel Furniture, Stainless Steel Barrels, Wine Supplies and Accessories, Used and Rain Barrels and Gifts that Capture the Essence of Wine ...

...

New Wine and whiskey Barrels | Used Whiskey Barrels | Oak Barrels

We offer quality new and used oak whiskey barrels and new wine barrels in any quantity at a competitive price

...

Oak Wine Barrels - Treated and Restored

At OAK WINE BARRELS we supply and restore used oak wine barrels. We supply Gauteng and Cape Town with the finest quality used and restored oak wine barrels for use as dècor items.

...