Knowledge base
Ageing
Oak & Wood Treatment
Oak contributes vanilla, spice, coconut, toast, and tannin to wine. It also allows micro-oxygenation which softens tannins and stabilises colour.
Forms
- Barrels — the gold standard. 225L Burgundy barrique. High surface-to-volume ratio. Typically replaced after 3–5 fills.
- Oak staves / inserts — submerged in tank. More controllable, economical.
- Oak chips — fast flavour extraction (1–4 weeks), used in bulk commercial production.
- Oak spirals / cubes — compromise between chips and staves.
Toast Levels
| Toast | Character |
|---|---|
| Light | Vanilla, coconut, fresh wood |
| Medium | Caramel, spice, balance of wood and fruit |
| Medium+ | Toast, coffee, smoke, chocolate — common for reds |
| Heavy | Smoke, char, bitter — used sparingly |
Oak Origins
- French (Quercus petraea) — tight grain, fine tannins, elegant spice.
- American (Quercus alba) — wider grain, strong vanilla, coconut notes.
- Hungarian / Central European — between French and American.
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