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CO VER S T OR Y 8 T QUESTIONS ABOUT OAK PRODUCTS he range for oak alternatives has grown dra- matically in recent years, and winemakers now can choose from a wide variety of products. But what is the best way to pick between oak chips, rice or powders, and what's the difference between a block, domino, cube, bullet or bean? "It's kind of like herding cats," laughed Rick DeFerrari of Oregon Barrel Works. "It's subjective to what people are looking for, what people want." Wines & Vines spoke with oak suppliers to gain insights into what types of adjuncts and additives are on the market and how they best match each stage of the winemaking process. 1. What's the range of oak products? "Generally speaking, the larger formats are for aging and the smaller formats for fermentation, but this varies from winemaker to winemaker," said Attila C. Oross, principal sales specialist for Quercus Concepts Inc.'s Quercus and Arobois oak alterna- tive lines. Winemakers cater oak type to their wines By Andrew Adams make it easier to add the chips to tanks and then remove them after wine has been racked out. • Smaller barrel alternatives are best used for fermentation, leaving larger products for fining or aging. • Oak extraction rates are higher and faster with smaller products, but often smoother with larger ones. • Tank staves and bags of blocks or dominos are the best fit for aging with micro-oxygenation. • When in doubt, conduct some research; most suppliers offer free trial kits. Oak now comes from powders with particles smaller than 0.15 mm to heavy staves several feet long and 18 mm thick, designed to hang inside fermentation tanks. The powders and small chips are for use from crush through primary fermentation and designed to integrate with the must. Several suppliers claim the material can be introduced at the crush pad through the must pump or with a pump in the cellar. Once fermentation is com- plete, the oak is left with the pomace (shoveled out, pressed and tossed with the rest of waste), as the powders and small chips are too tiny to separate from the fermented fruit. Mid-range oak alternatives are known by varying names such as cubes, blocks, dominos, bullets, beans and larger chips. These products usually come bundled in mesh "flow through" bags that 24 Wines & Vines APRiL 2012 The largest oak products are barrel inserts and staves. The barrel inserts can either be installed on the inner surface of the barrel or come as thick sticks of oak linked together by synthetic cord. These latter are known as oak sausage links, oak chains or chaplets. The inserts are linked to a synthetic bung to allow for easy retrieval. Tank staves come as fan systems bundled together and then zip tied to a stainless steel wire welded to the inside of tanks or hung on racks. Just as they do with barrels, oak suppliers provide a full range of toasts from untoasted to heavy and even custom toast blends for specific flavor profiles. "We offer French and American oak in various toasts," said Marion Blanchet Ghiringhelli, Nadalie USA's Oak Add Ins business de- velopment manager. She added that the company offers "the standard (toasts such as) LT, MT, MT+, HT—but also other toasts like 'Noisette' or 'Special,' which bring different aro- matic profiles." 2. Are there products specific to each stage of winemaking? Michael Peters, U.S. sales manager for the Chilean cooper- age Mistral, said he recommends the company's oak powder and rice for fer- mentation. "The staves and blocks are mostly used for aging and finishing wines, however we do have customers who will use blocks and staves during fermenta- tion with incredible results," he said. "We also recommend the toasting level at each stage for each product." Smaller products have quicker extraction rates and are better suited for wines at lower price points with a quicker turnaround. Barrel inserts and staves have slower extraction rates but deliver a wider spectrum of oak flavors, so they are considered to be best reserved for longer aging and fining. "Oak products can be