Sep 2007
So you like Wine in your Oak
September, 2007 Filed in: Wine making
Many enjoy the flavours provided by oak in their wine. Oak can impart tannins, and flavours, particularly “vanilla-like” tastes. Many wine lovers are romanced by the image of rows upon rows of oak barrels containing aging wine.
Many kits contain packages of oak chips that provide excellent oak flavours to kits. Our popular Selection International Australian series of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Cabernet/Shiraz have up to 4 packages of oak and are often described as Chateau Plywood by those not enamored by oak.
So how do you obtain those oak flavours in homemade wine? Obviously, the first choice would be aging your wine in oak barrels as well. However, Canadian produced barrels exceed $400 per barrel and French oak barrels sell for over $580 plus freight. Typically, barrels can be used five times and therefore are cost prohibitive.
Some oak lovers however desire more oak than that provided in their favorite kits. So what are your options?
One way to boost the oak flavours in your wine is to add Oak-Mor which is essentially oak sawdust. It is packaged in a 50 gram bag. It can be added into the primary at day one, or added into the carboy at stabilizing time. If you choose to add Oak Mor in your carboy it is suggested you only add ¼ to ½ the amount of oak included in the kit. For example if your kit contains an oak package of 30 grams, you could add as much as 15 grams into the carboy. Any additional amounts may overpower your wine and truly result in Chateau Plywood.
Another way of adding oak to your wine is to use oak cubes. These oak cubes are about a third the size of a common sugar cube. Fans of oak cubes believe that these cubes are superior to oak sawdust or chips. Some believe that volatile compounds are evaporated from chips and sawdust because of their larger surface area. Oak cubes also eliminate the potential of plugging your siphon hose at racking time. The oak cubes can be used both in the primary and in the carboy. Apparently many wineries in the Napa Valley are switching to oak cubes because of economics.
We also carry French Oak Aging Compound. This liquid product can easily be added to your wine at any stage and is a simple convenient method of boosting oak flavours in your wine.
It is important to point out that you should never to use oak from the local lumber yard. Oak lumber has additives in it to prevent cracking and warping. These compounds may be quite toxic. Oak used in kits have not been treated with these chemicals.
Many kits contain packages of oak chips that provide excellent oak flavours to kits. Our popular Selection International Australian series of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Cabernet/Shiraz have up to 4 packages of oak and are often described as Chateau Plywood by those not enamored by oak.
So how do you obtain those oak flavours in homemade wine? Obviously, the first choice would be aging your wine in oak barrels as well. However, Canadian produced barrels exceed $400 per barrel and French oak barrels sell for over $580 plus freight. Typically, barrels can be used five times and therefore are cost prohibitive.
Some oak lovers however desire more oak than that provided in their favorite kits. So what are your options?
One way to boost the oak flavours in your wine is to add Oak-Mor which is essentially oak sawdust. It is packaged in a 50 gram bag. It can be added into the primary at day one, or added into the carboy at stabilizing time. If you choose to add Oak Mor in your carboy it is suggested you only add ¼ to ½ the amount of oak included in the kit. For example if your kit contains an oak package of 30 grams, you could add as much as 15 grams into the carboy. Any additional amounts may overpower your wine and truly result in Chateau Plywood.
Another way of adding oak to your wine is to use oak cubes. These oak cubes are about a third the size of a common sugar cube. Fans of oak cubes believe that these cubes are superior to oak sawdust or chips. Some believe that volatile compounds are evaporated from chips and sawdust because of their larger surface area. Oak cubes also eliminate the potential of plugging your siphon hose at racking time. The oak cubes can be used both in the primary and in the carboy. Apparently many wineries in the Napa Valley are switching to oak cubes because of economics.
We also carry French Oak Aging Compound. This liquid product can easily be added to your wine at any stage and is a simple convenient method of boosting oak flavours in your wine.
It is important to point out that you should never to use oak from the local lumber yard. Oak lumber has additives in it to prevent cracking and warping. These compounds may be quite toxic. Oak used in kits have not been treated with these chemicals.