Liquor distillers make use of a wide variety of wood when aging their liquors. However, for wines, oak has become the generally accepted wood. But what exactly does oaked wine entail? As it turns out, oak has a pretty unique role in wine and it’s aging process…
Oaked Wine: Why Use Oak?
History of oak
You can trace the start of oaked wine back to the Romans. As the Romans continues to expand their borders, they needed a way to transport wine. Wine was important for their troops, as it was safer than water, provided needed calories, and kept up moral. However, they struggled to find a way to do so effectively.
It wouldn’t be until the Romans encountered the Gauls would they find their answer. The Gauls made use of oak barrels to transport beer from place to place. Oak was easy to bend into shape, abundant, and waterproof. As a result, the Romans quickly adopted oak barrels, and most of the world soon followed, which quickly became the standard.
Benefits of oak
Oaked wine started out of convenience, but soon other benefits were arose. Contact with the oak wood helps make wines smoother and softer, and much easier to drink. Some wines also saw enhanced flavor profiles. Hints of caramel, vanilla, and even butter are common for oaked wine.
However, much like many things, it’s all about moderation. If a wine sits in oak barrels for too long, those benefits can end up turning into negatives. Tasting all the oak impressions, but none of the wine’s own flavors, means the wine has become imbalanced. It’s important for vineyards to fine the perfect balance for their wines.
Spotting the differences
So how can you identify when a wine hasn’t been aged in oak? There’s a couple methods you can use. First, look at the wine’s color. White wines will become darker in hue, almost similar to straw. Red wines will also gradually become darker the longer they sit in the oak.
Secondly is the taste. Wines which have been oaked will have their flavor profiles considerably changed or enhanced. White wines tend to have their vanilla flavors really brought out. Other enhanced flavors include mocha, caramel, toffee, and honey.
