Firstly we need to know why we use oak barrels in winemaking. For thousands of years oak has been known to add texture and flavour to a wine, depending on which barrels are used and their size. When a wine comes into contact with new oak, certain flavours leach into the wine and give off some characteristic aromas and tastes.

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We generally use French or American oak, but Hungarian oak is also becoming more popular. Oak trees grown in forests in the northern hemisphere are preferable, as they grow slower and therefore have a much tighter grain.

Barrel size does matter, as does the age of the oak. The smaller the barrel the more impact the wood influence has on the wine. Once a barrel has been used for several fills (vintages) the effect of the wood characters are softened. Older barrels impart virtually no flavours on the wine at all and are considered an inert vessel.

Chardonnay and sauvignon blanc are both excellent examples of white wines that are completely altered by the use of oak barrels. The famous wines of Sancerre in France, made from sauvignon blanc are usually matured in large, older barrels. While across the Loire River is Sancerre opposition, Pouilly Fumé where great fumé blancs are produced using smaller barrels and longer maturation.

If you love oaky chardonnay then look for those that have undergone some secondary fermentation in the barrel. Known as malolactic fermentation (think malic acid turning into lactic acid) this process creates a buttery, smoother style of wine than a chardonnay that has had no oak influence at all.

And lastly, read the label to make sure the wine was put in oak barrels and not vice versa. Oak chips and oak flavours are added to cheaper wines to give the illusion that the wine is oak matured.

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