Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/480754
42 WINES&VINES April 2015 OAK BARREL ALTERNATIVES As far as white wine goes, I do not like to use oak dust or chips for fermentation. I have had good success in using long staves that we set up in tanks for fermentation, then aging the wine on these staves. But in general, most whites I do are true stainless steel, or they go to barrel for barrel fermentation and aging. All of the oaked whites I produce go for over $20 a bottle, and I am really happy with my barrel program for these wines. The second type of oak adjunct I employ is for finishing the wine and is used to add flavor and texture. In general, I find that I really like using beans, segments or domino-size oak that is secured in nylon bags. These can be bagged up and then attached to a stainless steel ring, chain or wire that runs the inner circumference of the tank, near the bottom. That way, the bags can lay on the sides of the tank—they do not float around—and are easy for workers to install and remove. I like this size of oak be- cause it has the fastest extraction time and still gives a very high quality impact. I think longer staves can give you better results if you are looking for barrel-like quality, but I am not a fan of the process of installing the larger staves in the tanks. In my experience, the bagged oak is easier to install, take out and clean (if need be), and easier to handle and store. I've also found that I like the shorter extraction time needed for the smaller-sized oak alternatives that you can bag. I have moved away from solely using chips, because chips seem to leave a slightly more resinous, pencil quality that dominates. But both long staves and chips work really well, and I know people who enjoy good success with them, especially as blenders. Q How does the cost of oak alternatives compare with the price of barrels? Joseph: Let's say we are going to do a program that you want to have 25% new oak. Let's as- sume you want this program to be French oak. My cheaper French oak barrel goes for around Chad Joseph consults for several small wineries and bulk wine growers.