Wine Barrels

Wine barrels have a long history and are essential to the making of many wines. The American wine industry is the largest user of imported French oak barrels, employing them as well as domestic oak barrels. The importance of these wooden barrels lies in the flavors the wood imparts during wine’s maturation process. The woods used come from various sources, but the most important is oak. American oak, Quercus alba, or European oak, Q. rubur and Q. sesslis, are the most sought after; they are, however, processed in entirely different ways and impart very distinct flavors. Most American oak is kiln-dried from sawn wood, which lends very strong flavors to wine. European oak is split wood and, for the most part, air-dried, ideally for three years, which gives wine a softer flavor that changes with the age of the wood used. This processing method also imparts a higher tannin level to the wine. It is essential that wine makers know the source and age of the woods they are using. For example, tannins are more evident in wood that is harvested in summer than in spring, and each wooded area may have a goût de terroir (“taste of the earth”) that makes its flavor unique; thus, a mistake in the selection of wood can lead to difficulties as the wine matures.