Oak and Wine, from the Cellar to the Glass

Everyone talks about oak in wine, or the lack of it. It is such a prominent matter of conversation that any wine-tasting in the world will inevitably be seasoned with talk of the wood that has become the number one natural container of choice in the world for winemakers. But what is oak? Why is it so important? Why do some winemakers use oak while others eschew it in favor of other containers like stainless steel?

It should be said that oak was not the first container to ferment or store wine, nor will it be the last. Through the ages, wine has been kept in terracotta urns, glass bulbs, porcelain boxes, stone holes in the ground, and a multitude of various woods. Oak just so happens to be the perfect sibling for a wine that seeks depth and character.

Inventive ways of making specific varietal wines using new technologies and myriad storage options are being created every year. That being said, there are few aids in a winemakers toolbox that carry the weight of an oak barrel.

Now, when we talk about oak in wine, we are speaking more specifically of a flavor compound in the wine that imparts a bit of the character of a charred oak barrel, when that barrel has been used to ferment and/or age the wine we are drinking.