Oak wood chips

These are increasingly used as an alternative to barrique ageing (in barrels). Regarding application and wine law issues see under Wood-chips.

In the New World, it has been common practice since the 1980s to replace the flavour components of oak that arise during barrique ageing with a more cost-effective and less complex method. In this process, oak fragments of various sizes and shapes are placed in or added to the containers used for fermentation and/or ageing (e.g. stainless steel tanks). These can be boards, staves (staves, inner staves), cubes, chips (oak chips) or shavings that have been subjected to toasting in the same way as the barrique barrels. Smaller fragments are packed in perforated bags or wire cages, which are hung in steel tanks for ageing.

Difference to barrique ageing in barrels

Some of these materials are already used during the mash fermentation, which results in a correspondingly higher extraction of the oak substances. There are also extracts obtained from oak wood in the form of powders, tablets or even essences. However, this already crosses the line between flavouring and wine adulteration and is only partially permitted, at least within the European Union. However, all these oak...

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Oak wood chips

Wood chips

Difference to barrique ageing in barrels

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