10/31/07 Oak Barrels 3

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. The use of oak barrels in winemaking is a big deal. It's referred to and very often bragged about in the description of the wine. Today we're going to find out how you know what part of the wine's taste or smell comes from the time it spent in an oak barrel. The smells and flavors that come from an oak barrel into your glass of wine are derived primarily from either the wood itself or the way that the barrel was toasted. Toasting is a process of slightly heating and toasting the inside wood of the barrel over a fire. The toasting is done for varying lengths of time depending on how toasted the buyer wishes the barrel to be. Much like toasting a slice of bread, you can just barely brown the bread or you can leave it in until it is nice and golden. Those smoky, spicy or nutty smells in a wine are a result of the degree of toasting the barrel received. Probably the most talked about and obvious fragrance is that of vanilla in a wine that has been in a heavily toasty oak barrel. The clove, cinnamon and nutmeg fragrance is a characteristic of oak in general and it may often become more evident after the barrel is toasted. If you ever notice a weedy or dill fragrance in a wine, it's usually from new oak that was only very lightly toasted. Oak will also impart some sweeter flavors to the wine sometimes described as butterscotch or caramel, tobacco or chocolate. It's fun to take a minute to see what little things you smell or taste in a wine that has been fermented or aged in oak. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at Vine to Wine dot net and thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.