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Oaktoberfest: An Ode to Oak Sorry Oktoberfest, move over light beer we decided to celebrate something new this year Oaktoberfest is our dedication to the mighty oak tree We know you’re literally screaming with glee Oak trees grow in forests ‘round the earth It’s time we appreciate what they’re really worth They gift us acorns, and pretty leaves in fall, But the wood from the oak is the best thing of all French Quercus robur is the best of the best Who knew this tree could do such wonders, #blessed They grows in five forests in Central France Trees so gorg, they’ll put you in a trance Quercus alba is American Oak through and through It’s not only great for wine, but bourbon too The wood is known to be dense, watertight and hard, Just wait until it gets toasted and charred Coopers are serious barrel-crafting kings Cutting staves, shaping wood, oh the joy it brings The works of art are held together with hoops of metal These barrels must be perfect, coopers never settle The inside is toasted - light, medium or heavy Just wait until you taste an oak-aged bevvy This is when the flavors really come out They’ll make your wine smoky and spicy, no doubt Aging wine any other way just won’t do, Oak makes the wine soft and dreamy, just for you <3 |
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Slow clap for the oak tree, ya’ll. That’s right, Oak is what gives wines that extra oomph that new wine drinkers love to hate and experienced winos must-have. People were smart enough centuries ago to realize that storing wine in animal bladders and clay pots just wasn’t going to cut it. As humans began to move about the earth, they needed a better way to transport their precious vino. Given the astounding number of Oak trees that grew in Europe at the time, the oak barrel became the solution. (Well, first it was wooden buckets, but then they got smart and put a lid on them to make a barrel). WHY OAK BARRELS? Strength! Especially when made from French Oak (Quercus robur) or American Oak (Quercus alba) and held together with metal hoops. The ideal oak, Quercus robur is kind of a big deal. It can be found in five prized forests in Central and Eastern France: Troncais, Vosges, Nevers, Alliers and Limousin. Also important and closer to home, is American oak, a.k.a. Quercus alba. Although we don’t have super fancy names for our forests, it grows in the enchanted midwestern lands of Wisconsin (Go Pack), Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri. Just like growing grapes, climate is key for growing oak trees. In a cool and dry climate, trees will grow slowly and majestically, producing wood with a tighter grain. In a warmer and wetter climate, oak trees will grow faster and have a looser grain. The grain of the wood that’s used to create the barrel can change the flavor profile of the wine that’s stored inside of it. Tighter grain is ideal for integrating with the wine. Ideally a tree is 100+ years old when it gets chopped down harvested for barrel-making. But the older, the better. Some trees being harvested today are up to 250 years old! At that time, many oak forests in France were planted for building French navy ships (thanks Napoleon). 250 years ago, America was barely even a country! 250 years ago, people wore powdered wigs and thought they looked so chic. Easy to move! Barrels could be easily rolled to wherever wine was needed. Helllllooo, wine emergency over here, need wine stat. Roll that baby over! The two main types of barrels are Bordeaux (barrique) or Burgundy (piéce). They differ just slightly in shape and size. About 2-4 barrels can be made from one tree. Let’s roll out the barrel, step-by-step:
Perfectly porous! This type of wood is able to ~breathe.~ Oak is porous, allowing water and alcohol to evaporate through the wood barrel as it ages. One barrel will hold about 60 gallons of wine. As the wine ages, about 5 gallons (30 bottles of wine) will evaporate from the barrel. This is affectionately known as the “angel’s share.” Cute. While the fat cherubs are sipping on wine, oxygen is seeping into the barrel. This helps soften the wine as it ages. No doubt, people tried to make barrels with other woods - pine, cherry, walnut, birch - you name it. But none of them are able to breathe, hold wine without seepage, and pass nice flavors along to the wine like oak can. Which leads me to my next point... Wine benefits! Over time, people realized that wines actually benefited from being stored in that delicious wood. Ultimately, it’s the winemakers decision on which Oak type will best benefit the wine. One isn’t necessarily better than the other. Some winemakers will even use both types on one wine! Each type of Oak imparts different yet wonderful characteristics unto a wine:
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