inner staves or inserts, planks of wood, usually oak, placed in a stainless steel tank and held in position by a metal framework, are a way of imparting oak flavour to wine more cheaply than by fermenting or ageing in barrels since the staves are easily replaced. Inner staves are sometimes used in conjunction with micro-oxygenation to mimic the use of barrels for fermentation or maturation without the cost of barrels, a barrel cellar, and barrel cellar workers. A more recent development is the use of oak staves in oxygen-permeable tanks made of food-grade polyethylene. See also barrel inserts.
