Wine and wood 10 facts about using wooden barrels for wine

  1. Gallic ingenuity We owe viticulture to the Romans, but it was the Gauls who first transported wine and stored it in wooden barrels.
  2. Types of wood The most suitable type of wood for wine barrels is oak; yet other types of wood are still used, such as chestnut and acacia.
  3. Old oaks To supply the wood for a wine barrel, an oak must be between 180 and 250 years old.
  4. Waterproof, nice taste and complexity Oak wood is more waterproof than other types of wood and gives off flavors that we have learned to appreciate over the centuries. In addition, oak, when used correctly, can add more complexity to a wine.
  5. French, Russian, American Wood from certain oak forests in central France is favored for wine barrels; oak wood from Russia is also on the rise. In addition, the wood of the American white oak is often used in the New World.
  6. French vs American However, American oak gives a more powerful vanilla flavor than French oak. That powerful American oak is not suitable for every wine!
  7. Barriques from Bordeaux The most famous wooden barrel is the barrique; this usually refers to a vessel with a capacity of 225 litres. This is traditionally the standard size for the barrels used by wine merchants in Bordeaux. However, there are also barriques with other contents: 205 liters in Champagne, for example.
  8. To dry Oak wood is delivered in planks to a tonnery. It will be stored there for one and a half to three years before it can be used for a barrel. During that time the wood 'dries' and gets rid of all kinds of unwanted substances.
  9. Toast To give the wood the correct curvature, the staves are heated by means of a fire. They then become easier to bend. This heating is called 'toasting'.
  10. Light, medium, strong Kuipers toast the barrels to order: the wine producer indicates how strongly he wants his barrels roasted. A light toast produces milder flavors than a heavy toast. In addition, there are also differences between cooperages; wine producers therefore experiment with barrels from different coopers.