How Does Oak Aging Improve Wine?
For centuries, the practice of aging red wines in oak casks has been recognized as far superior in enhancing their flavor and character compared to aging them solely in glass or plastic. French winemakers, who have employed this technique for generations, have produced wines of extraordinary complexity and taste as a result.
Inside these barrels, a delicate toasting process takes place, coaxing out a smooth and sweet essence from the wood. Over time, this essence becomes infused into the wine stored within, imparting a delightful warmth and texture that undoubtedly elevates the wine's appeal.
While barrel aging remains the ultimate method for aging red wines, there exists an alternative approach that yields a similar effect: Toasted Oak Chips. These chips consist of oak wood that has been carefully toasted to match the degree of toasting found in wine barrels. Essentially, they offer the same high-quality oak wood used in the production of barrels but in chip form.
What Type of Wood is Used to Age Wine?
Using the correct type of oak wood is important. Some oak varieties will do more damage than good to a wine. Some release more tannic acid than others, producing a wine with immeasurable harshness and bitterness. It is also important that the oak wood be air-dried for several years so as to become "sap clear".
The Toasted Oak Chips we offer are all of the above. We have them available in both the imported French toasted oak chips and American toasted oak chips. They have been dried for several years and are "sap clear". Their affect on a wine is quite astonishing.
Their use is very straight forward. The only preparation necessary is to boil the oak chips in water for about 10 minutes. Once your wine has cleared and is ready for aging, rack it into a clean container and add the Toasted Oak Chips - typically 2 to 4 ounces for every 5 gallons - and allow to age 3 to 9 months.
How much you use and the amount of time it is given to age in the wine varies along with the character of the wine. In general, the fuller or more hearty the wine is the more wood and aging it will required to reach its ultimate flavor and balance. Just sample the wine every 3 to 4 weeks to monitor the wine's aging progress.
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