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CO VER S T OR Y eted toast levels. He arranges samples from different oak suppliers in families, grouped by their toasting method: infra- red, fire and convection toasting. "Like acid trials and blends, we taste blind, no matter what." Barrel alternative trials are conducted once or twice per year, when LaBorde does five to 10 flights of six different wines in 750ml bottles. The top three or four are tested in 15-gallon kegs and then stepped up to larger 3,000- to 6,000- gallons tanks. LaBorde noted that every oak supplier has different recommendations about how much to dose the trials and for how long. There is no standard way to measure oak impact. "The impact is way higher in the trial, but at least the true characters come through. Everything is amplified in the bench trial." That includes flaws, so the process helps narrow the candidates. "We rarely want the bench trial impact in our wines. Every company has differ- ent calculations. Over time we get our own feel for how much oak to use on a particular wine, so we've come up with our own calculator. We start out with the recommended dose and then tweak as we go along. There is some trial and error." Maintaining quality While speaking about the most crucial consideration when selecting an oak prod- uct, Steve Peck from J. Lohr hit the log- splitting wedge on the head: "A supplier's chain of custody and logistical systems must be trustworthy and have an inte- grated handling system to assure that fresh product is unadulterated when it arrives at the winery." Oak Solutions Group provides a usage calcu- lator on its company website. The tanks are tasted every week and as- sessed by LaBorde so the alternatives can be pulled if they're not working. If caught early, there's still the option to correct any undesir- able issues that arise. "Our oak impact is mild, and we like the fruit to come through." For those who prefer to cut down the tweaking factor, Oak Solutions Group maintains a usage calculator on its web- site. The calculator measures a suggested dosage rate by volume and desired oak impact for the company's lineup of bar- rel alternative products, which can help reduce trial and error. A reputable supplier should be able to articulate what handling and testing pro- tocol a chosen alternative went through. Many alternatives have International Organization of Standardization (ISO) certification and some are even Haz- ard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) certified. These certifications simply mean that a self-written protocol was adhered to in order to assure good handling practices, establishing a standard level of quality. Barrel alternatives from Xtra Oak, Napa, You make the best wines... as ask for or the be esst eq pmenequuipment Tanks Variable capacity, closed top, combined tanks built to your requirements plus a variety of tanks in stock. Equipment • Presses • Crusher destemmer • Pumps and more. Calif., are HACCP-certified by Bureau Veritas. The raw materials are tested for 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) and tribro- moanisole (TBA) via independent labora- tories. Thorough analysis is also conducted on the packaging, the plant where the product was produced and stored and the containers used for transport. According to McCord at StaVin, "Every stick of wood is tested before it's toasted." StaVin tests for TCA and TBA using Bentonite traps over three days with air circulation in an enclosed shipping con- tainer. ETS Laboratories then analyzes the traps for airborne TCA and TBA. Repeat performance 1148 St-Michel street, St-Cesaire, QC, Canada, J0L 1T0 Phone (450) 469-4822 Toll Free 1 866 469-4181 Get a quote online now at www.raynoxinc.com i 36 Wines & Vines APRiL 201 1 Sharp attention must be paid to the wood itself. Wood varies from tree to tree and stave to stave, so it's important to know that the oak products you buy in year two resemble as closely as possible those from the lot you bought in year one. Burton, owner of Barrel Builders, men- tioned the daunting number of variables in the barrel alternative business and how everyone wants a hook to be different. He advises winemakers to see past any poten- tial hype and ask themselves, "If I source from this supplier, will I be able to get this again next year?" For repeatability, there should be assurance from the supplier that the product will come from the same forest, same source, same aging protocol and toasting profile. Melissa Westerman at Innerstave, Sonoma, Calif., said her company has maintained a relationship with the same suppliers for more than 20 years. Inner-