Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/59079
CO VER S T OR Y (Continued from page 25) 4. How do you find the right oak product? "First the winemakers should have a clear idea of what wine profile they are reaching for," Derreumaux said. "Then they must look at budget, time, work- force. Having identified the base matrix of the wine and the aim to reach, they can look at the various suppliers of oak, their expertise, their formats." Vivelys also offers trial kits containing small bags of oak chips to soak in wine for at least two months. "Our protocol is based on our in-house research and works very well." (See "Benching Oak Barrel Alternatives" in Wines & Vines' April 2011 issue.) Oregon Barrel Works' DeFarrari said that when he's working with a new client he'll send an assortment of chips of vari- ous toasts and types so the client can run bench-top trials to find the product that's right for the specific wine. "With adjuncts, what people are looking for is more bang for their buck, more oak flavor for their dollar," he said. "Usually you have a wine in mind, and I think it really works well to do a quick bench trial, and I think they can figure out pretty quickly what it can give the wine." Martin J. McCarthy, sales and market- ing manager for Radoux Barrels and Pronektar Oak Alternatives, said the key factor for finding the right oak alternative is how long a winemaker wants to com- mit to aging his or her wine. "What kind of time do you have available? Narrow down the window with what you think works, and then make sure you're abso- lutely happy," he said. Oak Solutions Group, the alternatives arm of Independent Stave Co., offers a full range of products said assistant director of sales Kyle Sullivan. He said when he's working with a new client he first finds out how he or she already uses oak, then suggests alternatives that will fit the client's program. "What it comes down to is working one-on-one with the winemaker," he said. Sullivan also said it's key to take advantage of trial kits, because often the best strategy for alternatives is using a mix of differ- ent products. "We can recommend which oak prod- uct is right for each stage based on the goals the winemaker is trying to achieve and the amount of time they have to achieve those goals," said Innerstave's McBride. "Toast levels are based on wine- maker preference of the flavor profiles they are looking for." 5. What about storage and reuse? Oak additions should be treated with care and stored in a clean, dry warehouse and in the original packaging. Most suppliers don't recommend reuse for their products. "Reuse is impossible," Derreumaux said of his Vivelys products. Mistral's Peters said the TechStaves line of oak could be reused since the staves aren't designed to leave the tank and are considered compatible with clean-in-place systems. Smaller products, Peters said, should be used just once. "We do not recommend reuse because of the associ- ated risks once the product is removed. The risk of (microbial) contamination can be very high." Nicholas Keller, the U.S. representative for Tonnellerie Allary, said reuse is pos- sible with thick staves, but the results are not the same, and so he does not recom- mend it. "If you have a thicker stave it is possible, but the wine never penetrates the heart of the stave properly." Sullivan from Oak Solutions said reuse is possible, but the return of extrac- FRENCH OAK DOMINOS Caroline Hoogenboom Napa - Sonoma Cell. (707) 364-6334 caroline@ermitageusa.com Amy Lee Oregon - Washington Central coast of California Cell. (509) 995-2771 amy@ermitageusa.com Vincent Garry Sales Director Cell. (707) 225-2105 vincent@ermitageusa.com Office: Tel: (707) 224-2377 Fax: (707) 224-2390 433 Soscol Avenue Suite B151 Napa, California 94559 - USA Wines & Vines APRiL 2012 27 Parc d'act i v i tés des Ber t ranges - 58400 La Char i té- sur -Loi re - France Tel . + 33 3 86 69 43 79 | FAX + 33 3 86 69 67 47 | www. tonnel ler ie-ermi tage.com