A few years ago, I wrote an article called “The Role Oak Plays in the Taste of Wine”. Today, I want to go further into oak’s impact on wine by looking at the specific ways oak impacts wine. Thanks to Wine Cellerage for their help with this article.
From My Last Article
According to Wine Folly, “Oak offers three major contributions to wine:
- It adds flavor compounds–including aromas of vanilla, clove, smoke and coconut.
- It allows the slow ingress of oxygen–a process which makes wine taste smoother and less astringent.
- It provides a suitable environment for certain metabolic reactions to occur (specifically Malolactic Fermentation)–which makes wines taste creamier.”
From Wine Cellerage
Wine Cellerage tells us that “When wine is aged in oak barrels, it undergoes a series of transformations that affect its taste, aroma, and texture. These changes are primarily due to the extraction of compounds from the wood, such as:
- Tannins: Oak tannins contribute to the wine’s structure and mouthfeel, adding astringency and complexity.
- Lignin: This compound breaks down into vanillin and other phenolic compounds, imparting sweet and spicy notes.
- Hemicellulose: During the toasting process of the barrel, hemicellulose degrades, releasing sugars that add caramelized flavors to the wine.
- Oak Lactones: These contribute to the coconut and woody aromas, more pronounced in American oak.”
Wow. Lignin, hemicellulose and oak lactones are terms I’ve never heard of before. No matter how much you know about wine, there’s always more to learn.
Cheers!
