Our minds pair words so wonderfully, depending on past experiences. Take the word “barrel” for example; it generally conjures up an image of “wine”, to drinkers and non-drinkers alike. The drinkers will surely favor to refine it as the marriage of red wine and oak barrels. Right now we will discover this association: its origin, approaches and jargon.
Back within the day, red wine was stored in oak barrels basically due to its tight-grained nature, which meant less leakage. Somebody soon found that the barrel was undertaking considerably more than merely holding the wine. But not all oak operates exactly the same.
Most in the world’s top quality oak wood comes from France and North America, in that order. The French variant is tight-grained and subtly enhances the aroma and taste of the red wine using the spiciness of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice and only a hint of vanilla. American oak grains are wider and add a bolder flavor of vanilla, coconut and occasionally butter in the wine’s profile.
The pores inside the oak wood permit extremely small air to mix with the wine. The oak releases tannins into it, and their harshness is lowered by this oxygen, so that your red wine does not leave deposits within the mouth. The air also causes some evaporation in the water present inside the wine, leaving behind a liquid that is 8.5% much less in quantity, but offering far more flavor with regards to aroma, taste, clarity as well as a richer shade of red.
The art of matching the red wine kind for the right oak just isn’t easy; you will find a great number of variables to think about, like the source from the grape and the climate it endured that season, the oak’s age, high quality of its seasoning, how and just how much it has been toasted, and regardless of whether the wine meets the barrel in the fermentation or aging stage.
To obtain the rounded barrel, staves (cut pieces of oak) are joined and fire-heated. This treating in the oak wood is referred to as “toasting” and chars the inside surface with the barrel, generating the contained red wine subtly smoky. Not everyone prefers their wine to be oaked; the fans of such “naked” wine are usually laymen, whereas specialist wine-tasters and wine-makers appreciate their oak-soaked bottle of red wine.
The connoisseurs will normally opt for a bottle of red wine made in new oak barrels. These usually give the very best good quality item. A danger with reusing older oak barrels may be the spoilage of your wine by its yeast and bacteria. New oak barrels are purchased by qualified vintners for every batch of red wine, and after that give a good second-hand deal for household wine-makers.
Alternatives for the pricey oak barrels are oak chips tied inside a cloth and steeped in a tank of red wine, or oak staves placed inside the tank. If the barrel cannot surround the wine, they let the wine surround the barrel, raising the exposed surface region of the oak and giving quicker oxygenation. Naturally, severe winemakers know that excellent winemaking can be a game of patience, and will invest the time and money into conventional barrels.
Now you realize the secret behind the best red wine. Next time you take a sip and flatter your senses, keep in mind each of the good function which has gone into its producing, and raise your glass to say ‘Long reside the wine-making tradition’!