Ever Wonder? What's the Difference Between American and French Oak Barrels?

In winemaking, wood barrels impart textures, aromas and flavors into the final product.

Wines can be fermented and/or aged in oak barrels anywhere from six months to two years or longer.

Many red wines are aged in some type of oak barrels while few white wines are fermented or aged in oak (Chardonnay is the biggest exception).

Wine barrels are made from oak trees grown in many parts of the world. While French and American oak are most commonly used, there is also oak from places such as Hungary and Romania.

Oak barrels can be classified as ‘new,’ ‘used’ or ‘neutral.’ New oak is used to impart bold flavors. Lightly-used barrels, having been used for only one or two wines vintages, impart somewhat less flavor. And, neutral oak generally imparts no discernible flavor.

The primary difference between French and American oak is the different flavor characteristics they impart. French oak barrels are said to impart flavors of dark chocolate, roasted coffee beans and subtle smoke and spice notes, and produce wines with silkier textures. American oak is said to impart flavors of coconut, vanilla extract, cream soda and sweeter spices. They are also said to be more assertive in the imparted flavors while resulting in wines with a creamier texture.

But, like most things, it greatly depends on how the oak is prepared (i.e., toasted) and how the different types are used by each winemaker. Cheers!

The Top Two Most Prominent Acids in Wine - Tartaric and Malic

Last time we looked at acidity levels in wine that are measured on the pH scale and in terms of grams of acid per liter (Total Acidity). While Total Acidity is a measure of the concentration of acids in a wine, the pH level tells you how intense those acids will be.

So, let’s now look a bit more into the acids in wines.

There are four primary types of acids in wines - tartaric acid, malic acid, citric acid, and lactic acid.

“Wine Diamonds” on a Cork

Tartaric acid is the primary acid in wine grapes. But, only about half the tartaric acid in a grape is soluble in wine. The rest tends to attach itself to pulp debris, tannins, and pigments during the fermentation and aging process. And, sometimes that undissolved tartaric acid crystallizes in the wine. That’s what “wine diamonds” are. Those little broken-glass-looking shards you sometimes find on a cork or in your wine. But, don’t worry, they’re completely harmless.

Now, let’s move on to Malic acid which is the second most prominent type of acid in wine grapes. It too is produced as part of the grape growing process. But, Malic acid in grape vines decreases as vines grow older and the grapes ripen.

If malic acid is too high, winemakers can initiate a process called malolactic “fermentation” (MLF) which converts some of the malic acid (like that of a tart green apple) to the more mild lactic acid. This conversion gives a wine a buttery, creamy mouthfeel. You may know lactic acid as the primary acid present in a lot of fermented products, like yogurt, kefir, and sourdough bread.

Malolactic Fermentation is not actually a fermentation. It’s just a chemical process that converts one type of acid to another type of acid. So, it is more correctly a Malolactic Conversion, not a fermentation.

And, while most red wines undergo malolactic conversion, only some white wines, notably Chardonnay, undergo this process.

If you don’t care for highly acidic flavors in wines, try a full-bodied red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or a Syrah. But, if you love a crisp, refreshingly tart flavor, look for light-bodied white wines such as Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling or a brut sparkling wine.

Acidity Levels in Wine

Acidity in wine is one of the four fundamental traits of a good wine (Acidity, Tannin, Alcohol and Sweetness). For a wine to be considered “good,” each of these traits must be in proper proportion or ‘balance’ to each another. If there’s too much of one part, the wine will be off. And, if there’s not enough of a specific component, the wine will be lacking.

So, the acidity of a wine must play its own fine balancing act. While there are no magic “right” numbers for the level of acidity in a wine, there are generally accepted ideals. But, as usual, personal taste is still the simplest determining factor.

As a quick review, pH is a measure of acidity and is a logarithmic scale. So, a pH of 3 is ten times more acidic than a pH of 4 (the lower the pH the more acidic).

Wines lie on the acidic side of the pH spectrum, and most range from 3 to about 4.5 pH. This is compared with water, which is neutral, with a pH of 7 (not acidic), milk at a pH of 6.7, coffee at 4.5-5.0, and lemonade at 2.6 (very acidic).

Acid is important in wine because it acts biologically as a preservative. A red wine with a pH of 3.5 to 4 protects against most spoilage bacteria allowing it to age over years rather than months and allows it to develop deeper more complex flavors. In white wines there is generally stronger acidity with the pH being between 3.0 to 3.5.

In addition to the pH level of a wine, its “Titratable Acidity” or “Total Acidity” (TA) is another way of measuring acidity. And, this is a measure that usually appears on a wine’s Tech Sheet that is generally available on-line from the winery.

Most red wines will have a total acidity of about 0.6 to 0.7% TA that converts to 6 to 7 grams/Liter (g/L) – that is 6 to 7 grams of acid per liter of wine. A white wine will have a higher TA between 6.5 to 7.5 g/L

• Dry White Wines – 6.5 – 7.5g/L

• Sweet White Wine – 7 – 8.5g/L

• Dry Red Wine – 6 – 7g/L

• Sweet Red Wines – 6.5 – 8g/L

• Sherry – 5 – 6g/L

So, keep those taste buds perked up and see if you can detect an acidic wine (e.g., Sauvignon Blanc) over one that is not (e.g., Viognier), or a wine where the acidity is out of balance with its other components. Cheers!

Want Your White Wine to Have More Flavor? Don't Serve it So Cold!

Some people really like don’t care for white wine. They say it just doesn’t have as much flavor as red wines.

But, maybe, your experience with white wines has all been with very cold white wines. If you are drinking white wine right out of a standard refrigerator (which is typically 35-40 degrees F) you’re serving it too cold. Heavily chilling wines does cause them to have less flavor.

But, a lightly chilled white wine (50-55° F range) will allow you to experience the wine as it was intended by the winemaker.

A rule-of-thumb that I’ve always used for white wine is that if you are using a standard refrigerator to chill your wine, you should take the bottle of white wine out approximately 30 minutes before you want to serve it. That should leave a light chill on it. Or, if you own a wine refrigerator, you probably already know that it should be set to approximately 50 to 55 degrees F for white wines.

While serving a white wine at a warmer temperature does help to bring out more flavor, remember, the serving temperature of your wine a matter of personal preference. Whatever your preference, enjoy!

Sip Your Wine for a More Enjoyable Experience

I had a recent conversation with another wine lover who complained that whenever their mother came over for a glass of wine she would down it like ice water. And, they noted, they had been serving their mother “really good bottles of wine.” So, they’ve now learned that “…going forward, when Mom comes over for a glass of wine, she’s getting the cheap stuff!”

It’s easy to understand that someone might be inclined to “chug” a glass of wine like a cold beer or an easy-to-down mixed drink. But, drinking wine is a better experience if it is sipped rather than chugged.

One of the reasons for sipping wine is to include and enjoy the aroma. Our nose is actually very important to our ability to taste the flavors in wine. It’s like the old experiment where you pitch your nose and take a bit of an orange - you don’t end up “tasting” it. It’s not that your tongue doesn’t work with your nose pinched, but when your nose isn’t working your brain doesn’t get all the information about what’s in your mouth. So, a slow sip of wine, with your nose above the bowl of your wine glass, significantly enhances the overall ‘flavor’ of the wine.

Another reason for sipping wine is to enjoy the front, middle and finish of the wine. If you take the time to sip and really pay attention to the wine, you’ll notice that the “front end” of the wine will be different than the “middle” and the “end” or finish. On the front, you may experience bright fruit flavors (fruit-forward wines) along with the wine’s texture (usually the astringency of tannin, or lack thereof). In the middle, or mid-palate, is where a wine’s ‘structure’ is discovered. If everything comes together in a balanced manner, a good wine will have lots of interesting flavors in the middle. Conversely, a wine without any structure will seem to be empty or weak. Then, on the finish (after you swallow), you are likely to notice things like its mouthwatering acidity, or you may experience lingering sensations such as tartness or spiciness.

So, slow down and sip your wine. You’ll find that you’ll enjoy it even more. And, you might also consider keeping some of “the cheap stuff” on hand for you wine guzzling family and friends! Cheers!