5 Essential Tips About Oak Aging for Wine

For most of the wine experts out there, there is little doubt of the fact that you have heard the importance of the sheer aspect of oak aging when it comes to wine. Sure, most of you would probably not be owning several wine barrels out there, but would certainly be aware of how oak plays a pivotal role in the process of wine tasting.

As many experts already know, not only does oak make all the difference when it comes to the flavour of the wine, but there is also the fact that wines are priced differently according to their flavours. That is one of the main aspects that make all the difference.
Having said that, only the people who are wine connoisseurs of the highest order can be able to tell the subtle differences between all kinds of wine out there and their relation to oak. Here are the top five tips about oak aging for wine :-
The cost of wine is determined by oak: For the most part, oak barrels come from special areas in the United States and France and for most high-end wines, barrels are used once.
Since the cost of the barrels itself accounts for half the total production cost, this leads to a highly-priced wine.
Don’t fall for fast food wine scientists: This is a way to fool the consumer that the wine was actually aged in an oak barrel which it was not. Oak flavouring powder is the main culprit here. However, if you are a wine expert, you will be able to see through this.
Oak is not necessary for every wine: This is a common misconception. Make sure you do your homework and find out which wines have quality structure and grapes as they are the ones that need oak. Then you can be sure that oak will provide just the right balance to the wine.
White wines are an exception: Here’s what you need to know – Oak is almost never used while making white wine, with the exception of Chardonnay. Hence, make sure that you finish your white wine within the first year or two. Any more than that and the wine will lose its quality because it isn’t aged in oak.
Be sure to check on aging potential: The most straightforward way to do this is to check the label. It is as simple as that. For the most part, the aspect of oak aging is mentioned on the bottle. You can be sure that red wine will have a much better aging potential if it has been aged in oak for about one to one-and-a-half years.
At the end of the day, there are factors that you should also be careful about. Like for instance, the fact that if certain wines haven’t been aged in oak, then there is a high possibility that it may have oxidized.
In this regard, avoiding the sale price is the very first step that you need to take since it is more than likely that due to oxidation, it is way past its prime time-period for drinking. That is one of the main things that you need to be careful about.
After keeping all these factors in mind, you just need to let go of all the negative connotations that you have gotten from other people about wine and simply have fun in the process. The very aspect of oak when it comes to wine gives it an unparalleled and unique sense of class that cannot be found anywhere else. You would do well to keep that fact in mind.
Ever wondered what happens to the oak barrels when they are no longer fit for ageing of wines? They are put up for sale. You can actually buy wine barrels in Sydney to use them as bar tables at your restaurant. You can also find half wine barrels for sale in Sydney to create a coffee table in your outdoor area.