For many winemakers the process of oak aging is as important as, say, choosing where to grow the grapes or when to harvest them. The complexity of flavours that can be derived from oak can help transform a wine into a different animal all together, and as well as adding a broader range of aromas and flavours, it will also have an affect on colour and tannin levels.

Oak is porous, so when a wine is ageing there are chemical changes that take place that wouldn’t happen in stainless steel tanks. The contact with the air helps tannins to soften and oak flavours to slowly leech into the wine. The influence oak will have on the wine depends on several factors:

Origin of oak: French oak is traditionally viewed as being the best to use, and typically carries a price tag to match. While they are Europe’s most important source of oak, the United States is the biggest commercial grower of oak in the Americas. French oak will result in quite subtle flavours in comparison to American oak, which is generally more powerful, adding sweet vanilla-like overtones.

Size of container: The larger the barrel, the less wine will be in contact with the surface area of the barrel itself.

Age of container: New oak will impart more flavour into the wine. For top wines an oak barrel may only be used once or twice before being used for mid-range productions.

Time in container: The more time spent in oak, the more flavours the wine will take on. It may need less time in new oak because it will impart stronger flavours quickly.

The judgement of the winemaker is paramount in all of the above. He or she must decide where to source their oak, the size of the barrels or barriques, how many times they will use them, and the amount of time required to strike the perfect balance and achieve the style of desired.

Obviously, the number of times the barrels are used, the larger they are and their origin, will have a considerable effect on production costs, but often the best wines are oak aged in quality oak and in small quantities. Cheaper wines can be made by stirring in oak chips in some countries, and really cheap, mass-produced wines can have essence of oak added.

You may find with some inexpensive wines that the oak isn’t that well integrated, and can taste unpleasant. This is particularly true of whites, the danger being of course that one might say they don’t like oaky wines. If you are one of these people, don’t give up, just pick your wines properly. Seek advice if required, or do a little reading around.

Oak used smartly doesn’t mean you have to pay silly money. A number of wines available under the €10 mark in your local supermarket will have oak flavours added, but our Santa Alicia Chardonnay is the perfect example of oak done well and honestly.