Introduction Coopers have long recognized the importance of forest origin in shaping the sensory qualities of wine, yet relatively little research has been conducted to understand the underlying factors driving these effects. With access to oak sourced directly from several prestigious and historically significant French forests through our company-owned stave mill in northeastern France, we saw a unique opportunity to investigate how forest terroir contributes to wine expression. This study was conducted for our TW Boswell brand of French oak barrels and aimed to evaluate whether specific forest origins impart distinct chemical and sensory characteristics to wine. We selected three single-origin forests – Allier, Tronçais, and Nièvre and a blend composed of Bertranges, Bercé, and Russy – to compare the influence of each on wine aged in barrels crafted with TW Boswell’s proprietary toasting profiles. Our goal was to better understand the role of f

It is widely accepted that oak tannins can have a very significant influence on the tannic structure of wines. Besides their influence on mouthfeel, oak tannins are also antioxidants, and are viewed with renewed interest for their protective effect against wine oxidation. This hasn’t always been the case.  Measuring tannins contributed by oak barrels (or barrel alternatives) is a challenging task. Analysis methods have consistently failed to adequately measure these compounds in wines, preventing both researchers and winemakers from fully understanding and assessing their impact. Why Do Oak Tannins Seem to Disappear in Wine? Oak tannins are ellagitannins, relatively complex molecules containing ellagic acid as a main building block. Ellagitannins belong to a class of tannins known as hydrolysable, due to the fact that they easily degrade in acidic aqueous solutions, like wine. Degradation by oxidation is also a cause of their decline in wine. For a long time, it could be ar

Oak Wise conducted a study on the effect of mitigation and amelioration techniques on smoke tainted wine grapes and finished wine. Our objective is to present methods to help mask or balance smoke characteristics in wine by introducing oak ellagitannins or cherry wood tannins at three stages of wine development: addition before primary fermentation addition before malolactic fermentation and addition in finished wine/pre-bottling Results of the study showed that treated wines contained a significantly lower level of perceived smoke attributes with an enhanced overall quality in finished wine.  Click here for the complete technical paper: Oak Wise Technical Paper - Mitigating Smoke Taint.pdf

Oak Wise conducted a study on the effect of mitigation and amelioration techniques on smoke tainted wine grapes and finished wine. Our objective is to present methods to help mask or balance smoke characteristics in wine by introducing oak ellagitannins or cherry wood tannins at three stages of wine development: addition before primary fermentation addition before malolactic fermentation and addition in finished wine/pre-bottling Results of the study showed that treated wines contained a significantly lower level of perceived smoke attributes with an enhanced overall quality in finished wine.  Click here for the complete technical paper: Oak Wise Technical Paper - Mitigating Smoke Taint.pdf

Our purpose is to present a method to help winemakers successfully reduce the detection of smoke taint in finished wine. Contact Mel Coronado for any questions or technical support (209) 200-1438 mel.coronado@oak-wise.com

FERMENTATION OAK: whether you are battling smoke taint or just want to give your wines an edge on oak aging and tannin integration. Pronektar offers a full range of products in American and French oak (granulates, chips, tank and barrel staves, inserts, segments and blocks). The two items specifically developed for fermentation are: NEKTAR FRESH - dry, un-toasted 100% French oak granulates DUO FRESH - a special blend of toasted and un-toasted 100% French oak granulates  Both products are made from carefully selected cooperage grade oak that is naturally seasoned and then analyzed by Oakscan®, a unique process developed by Radoux cooperage to select oak by its tannin content. This meticulous approach ensures homogeneity and reproducibility of results obtained when using these products in winemaking. SMOKE TAINT: We are receiving a lot of inquiries about the use of oak in response to smoke taint. While there is no guaranteed treatment for smok