To oak or not to oak

The importance of the oak barrel

by Richard Ehrlich
Much of the world's wine - including some of the best and most expensive - contains an added ingredient which makes a tremendous contribution to its flavour. Sometimes too tremendous. The added ingredient is oak. And it is one of the most important considerations for wine drinkers deciding what to buy.

Over a barrel
The standard method of exposing wine to oak is to keep it, during and after fermentation, in oak barrels. The oak almost always comes from the USA or France; most winemakers prefer French oak's finer and subtler flavour. French oak also costs much more: a 225-litre "barrique" (the classic barrel used in top wines) can cost as much as £500. That can add as much as £1-2 to the price of a bottle.

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