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CO VER S T OR Y View video in the Digital Edition. Watch a technician install a set of new oak staves into a neutral barrel in this video provided by oak alternative manufacturer Innerstave. the oak spirals are done extracting virtu- ally all flavors in six weeks, it is perfect for situations like that." Oak staves have improved in both quality and versatility. Barrel insert staves are usually linked together for easy retrieval from a barrel when aging is done. Tank staves can be installed in tanks or hung from metal wires affixed to the interior sides of tanks. added from the beginning of the process for the wine to be ready early, or in sev- eral adjunctions to build more complex profiles," said Cyril Derreumaux, general manager for Vivelys USA, which produces the Boise' line of French oak chips that come in a wide variety of toast options. Early in the winemaking process, untoasted or lightly toasted products can help set tannin structure, and sup- pliers claim they improve color through co-pigmentation and mask the vegetal characteristics of pyrazines. "It's the most bargain-priced way to get oak into a wine," said Phil Burton, owner of Barrel Builders Inc., which sells inserts, staves and chips. He added, however, that he believes there's less integration of the oak when just using chips. Burton said he's been selling barrel inserts for at least 30 years and that winemakers should not be daunted by the vast array of products on the market these days. "Every- body needs a hook, but frankly I think the differences are pretty minimal." The Barrel Mill produces spiral inserts that sales manager Len Napolitano said are primarily used for aging. He added that they also can give wine a boost of oak flavor for finishing even after tradi- tional barrel aging. "Sometimes a wine needs a little more oak, but another year—or just a few months—(of aging) in barrel is not feasible," he said. "Because 3. What's best to use with micro-oxygenation? When using a micro-oxygenation system, a winemaker is often trying to replicate barrel aging in the tank without the barrels. The best fit for such systems are the larger alter- natives such as bags of blocks or staves. Napolitano, with The Barrel Mill, said the company offers bags of 48-inch- long spirals that can deliver 25%-30% new oak per 1,000 gallons of wine. He added that a micro-ox system could improve integration. Most other suppliers also recommended staves or bags of larger alternatives like dominos or blocks. The advantage of the bagged products with micro-oxygenation is that a winemaker can taste through the aging process and remove the bags once the right flavor profile or level of oak has been achieved. And, as always, each per- son's use of micro-oxygenation is different. "The relevance of interaction with mi- cro-oxygenation depends on the objective of the winemaker (wine profile) and the starting point," Derreumaux said, noting the original type of wine and its charac- teristics such as tannins, color, turbidity, temperature control capacities and time. Alicia McBride, general manager of Innerstave, said that all of the products of- fered by her company work with micro-ox; the selection just depends on how much time the winemaker has for oak extraction. (Continued on page 27) Smaller oak products such as cubes and powders provide quick extraction that is best used during fermentation, or when a winemaker needs more oak and has less time for aging. Wines & Vines APRiL 2012 25 Wines & Vines VIDEO: WAVEMAKER MEDIA DESIGN