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A Technical Guide for Wine Producers
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WINE IN WOOD AND WOOD IN WINE
Making optimal use of the cellar's oak procurement budget
The significant impact of oak purchases on a cellar's budget is nothing new, but with increasing emphasis on environmental concerns and the sustainability of natural resources it has become important to consider oak alternatives not only from a cost point of view, but also to consider making more effective use of the oak from which barrels are produced.
Several research projects have been undertaken in recent years to develop methods to recycle barrels. Shaving and re-toasting of used barrels is one such method. Barrels may be used for up to five different maturation cycles, provided they are used in conjunction with oak alternatives to impart new oak to the wine.
The Australian company, AUSVAT, has adopted a different route by utilising the wood in used barrels that went unused before. The contact surface of a barrique barrel is 2 m2 per barrel, but by making use of the unused wood in a used barrel, 8 m2 of oak may be recycled. This will obviously reduce the cost of the oak considerably as well as make better use of resources. The method entails dismantling used barrels, whereafter the part of the staves that was penetrated by wine is removed with a belt saw. The remaining portion of the staves is split into two thin planks. These planks are then shaved to expose the fibre and grain on both sides, whereafter they are straightened by heat and pressure. Holes are drilled into one end, whereafter they may be hung in wine tanks from stainless steel hoops. The barrel heads are recycled in exactly the same way, except that chips are made once the recycled planks have been toasted. In this way the used oak is completely recycled.
Wine will develop more quickly in new barrels and the general belief is that reconstituted barrels cannot replace the oak character of new barrels. The supporters of recycled oak products nevertheless contend that their products impart a softer oak character to wine, with fewer tannins than new American oak barrels especially. One problem experienced with the recycled barrels is a caramelised flavour that may be caused by wine residues in the barrel after re-toasting. The burnt toffee character may tarnish the wine used for the first refilling of the barrels. The fact that the origin of recycled barrels is unknown may be a further source of possible problems, the Brettanomyces status of the oak, for example, being unknown.
Some Australian consultants do not recommend the use of re-shaved and re-toasted barrels, but prefer to use oak alternatives to replace new barrels. The benefits, apart from the price of the products, include more consistent wine quality and style, labour savings and the prevention of volatile acid development if the barrels are not filled regularly. Various oak alternatives also offer a more comprehensive range of toasting profiles and tannin character, which facilitates the development of specific wine styles (Donaldson, 2009).
More details about the AUSVAT barrel recycling technique may be obtained from www.ausvat.com.au.
The original article may be viewed at www.winebiz.com.au.
Reference
Donaldson, Anita. 2009. Alternative Options to Value-add to Your New Oak Purchase. Australian & New Zealand Grapegrower & Winemaker, August 2008: 44 - 48.
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