Storing wine in an oak barrel is a difficult process, requiring knowledge of certain principles and winemaking technology. A novice winemaker must carefully study the entire process and pay attention to many little details in order to obtain a high-quality product that is safe and enjoyable to drink as a result of the winemaking process.

To give the wine a special quality, it is stored in barrels.

What you need to know about capacity?

The history of storing wine in an oak barrel consists of thousands of years of trial and error, disappointments and successes, and the perfection of technology. The alcoholic beverages market rarely offers wine stored, as tradition dictates, in a barrel. And if the buyer is lucky enough to find such a product, then its cost is quite high. That is why connoisseurs of good alcohol prefer to make it themselves. And only good wine can become a magnificent family tradition.

Barrels are also necessary for proper transportation of wine.

An oak barrel is perfect not only for storing wine, but also for proper transportation and preparation. This remark is true not only for a wine product, but also for cognac, brandy, chacha, whiskey, grappa or moonshine.

In order to successfully produce alcohol using oak barrels, the wood must go through a preparatory stage. If the preparatory stage is not carried out, the barrel swells, a leak forms in it, or it simply crumbles.

New barrels impart bitterness and darkening to the wine; before pouring alcohol into them, it is necessary to fill them with drinking water. If this requirement is not met, the barrels will simply ruin the wine.

All this is done so that the wood, having swollen, fills the rivets. This guarantees protection against leakage.

Practice shows that the washing procedure requires 3-4 rinses. But according to all the rules, it is necessary to rinse the barrel until the water becomes clear. Also, the liquid poured from the barrel should not have the taste or smell of wood. Next, you need to rinse the container again with boiling water, then rinse with warm water with the addition of soda. After that, another wash, a control wash. If the barrel is not used for a long time, it is fumigated with sulfur, which helps to avoid the appearance of wood pests and fungus.

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How to store intoxicating liquid?

It is necessary to maintain the correct temperature conditions.

The main condition for storing wine in barrels is maintaining the temperature regime. The optimal temperature norm is 12 0 C. Temperature fluctuations under optimal storage conditions are from 10 to 14 0 C. In cases where the ambient temperature increases, evaporation of alcohol vapor is observed, and when it decreases, the wine does not ripen properly.

Proper storage involves not only a special temperature regime. There are additional conditions: regular circulation of fresh air in the room in which the barrels are located, dim lighting, exclusion of direct sunlight, absence of odors. Ambient humidity is 70-80%.

If the environment is not suitable for a wine barrel or only partially suitable, processes that are incompatible with the aging of high-quality wine will begin to occur: excessive evaporation of vapors or “under-ripening”. When insufficient humidity is noticed in a room, basins and buckets of water are placed in it.

The first danger that can happen to a novice winemaker is the development of an acetic acid bacterial culture near the tongue hole. Wines that are stored with their tongue facing up are most susceptible to this risk. Some people usually do not notice the pathological process that occurs in wine, since this is a slow procedure. It is necessary to fumigate unused barrels with sulfur, and also clean the tongue frequently on a regular basis.

The second danger for the winemaker lies in the process of wine percolation. This problem should be eliminated at the preparatory stage by properly preparing the barrel for the first use. The preparatory method was described above.

Knowledge and observance of the basic laws of winemaking eliminates pathological wine processes. If you prepare the barrel properly and store the wine as intended, the result will certainly be a tasty and noble drink. The main thing in winemaking is the desire to enjoy good alcohol, without rushing or taking rash steps.

The process of making wine is an art. A certain skill is also necessary to preserve the taste of an exquisite noble drink. Over the years, winemakers have created their own aging recipes. Each time they realized that the most aromatic wine was the one in the wooden container. But how to store wine in barrels to get a drink with a rich and multifaceted taste? What type of wood is best to purchase a natural container from?

These questions have always worried more than one generation of wine masters. And novice winemakers would not mind finding out whether it is possible to store wine in oak barrels or is it enough to buy a product made from pine?

I would like to say with confidence that it is better to age wine in oak products. And the proof of this is its special properties. Let's take a closer look at the characteristics of this wood. Let's find out how to store wine in oak barrels and get divine drinks.

Special type of wood

Even the ancient Romans wanted to replace their clay amphorae with convenient containers in which wine could be transported without losing its taste. Various types of wood were tried. Ultimately, oak was preferred and became the main material ideal for storing and transporting wine.

For many thousands of years, oak barrels have not lost their relevance. Due to its special properties, oak is very popular in the manufacture of wine containers:

  1. The softness of wood allows the material to be bent into the desired geometric shape.
  2. Oak barrels require a minimum degree of firing, which affects the production time.
  3. The dense texture of the wood suggests good water resistance.
  4. Tannin powder is released from oak, which gives the wine a velvety delicate taste.

When choosing a barrel to store wine, pay attention to the degree of firing. During the heat treatment, a protective film is created between the wood and the wine. If you purchase a heavily burnt product, then in the noble drink you will feel less oak tones, and more fried and spicy. Storing wine in a medium-firing barrel means having a wine product with a delicate vanilla flavor and sufficient tannin content. Lightly fired containers produce juicier wines.

Thanks to the special structure of oak, the noble drink is enriched with oxygen through the pores of the wood. An oxidative process occurs, which improves taste. The clarity of the wine drink also increases. At the same time, alcohol and water evaporate, and tannins slowly saturate the wine.

We hope you have received a comprehensive answer to the question about storing wine in oak barrels. It is possible and necessary to age a noble drink in oak products. So, you bought a keg, what to do with it next?

Preparation for use

To get aromatic, aged wine, you need to be patient and perform the following operations on the barrel:

  • soaking;
  • scalding;
  • washing with soda;
  • rinsing with hot and cold water.

In order for the wood in the new product to swell and the gaps to be removed, it is necessary to fill the barrel with cold water. Usually 2-4 weeks are enough for the soaking process. It is recommended to change the water at least every other day. If you see a leak at this time, do not be alarmed, this is not a defect. Add water and observe. After the wood swells, all leaks will stop.

Next, drain the cold water, fill it with boiling water (not completely) and roll the barrel to scald its walls. Then mix soda ash in new hot water (about 200 g per 10 l) and rinse the wooden product again. This operation is carried out in order to extract excess oak aromatic components from the wood.

After cleaning the barrel with soda, you need to rinse it thoroughly with hot water. You can rinse thoroughly several times until you see a completely clear, clean liquid. To cool the wooden product, it is filled one last time with cold water. Having pulled out all the plugs and opened the tap, its remains are drained. Only after this can the natural container be filled with wine. This oak barrel is now a powerful weapon in the fight for new harmonious tastes.

Aging time

Depending on the type of wine, different periods of storage in wine cellars are established. For muscat varieties of the noble drink, aging periods of at least one and a half years are provided. The same time is needed for dry table wine. An aromatic product made from Kakheti and Rkatsiteli grape varieties is aged for about 2 years.

In this case, it is necessary to maintain a certain temperature in the basement. For white varieties, keep the temperature within 12 0 C, for red varieties - 14-16 0 C, dessert - 15-17 0 C. With clean and fresh air and a humidity of 85%, your wine will retain its taste, ripen and spill into a glass an aromatic bouquet of rich and multifaceted flavors.

Making your own alcoholic beverages is becoming more and more popular every year. This is not only an opportunity to create truly high-quality and aromatic alcohol, but also an opportunity to express yourself creatively. In this article you will learn how to make wine in a barrel. We will tell you about the main points that you need to pay attention to when solving this problem.

How to make wine in oak barrels

Note that oak barrels are the best container for making alcohol. The main thing is to observe the appropriate temperature conditions and other care rules. Wooden barrels are created using a special technology. This is not just a wood product. This is a container in which drinks acquire a special taste. It cannot be obtained in any other way.

Making wine in a barrel is an art. Each winemaker has his own special technology. We will tell you how to make wine in a barrel in the easiest way. You can put it into practice yourself. Note that young alcohol in small containers matures quite quickly. Aging must be carried out for two years.

How to make high-quality and aromatic wine in barrels? The question is quite simple. It's all in the barrel. The fact is that the drink breathes through the oak stave. It releases carbon dioxide and absorbs oxygen. In addition, various chemical processes take place on the surface of the riveting. The drink draws tannin and other substances from the wine barrel.

If you want to learn how to make wine in an oak barrel, you first need to understand the value of this container for the production of alcohol. It is known that in one year, alcohol poured into oak containers of size 225 absorbs about 50 mg/l of tannin. It is of particular importance for aging strong, red table and dessert wines.

Any winemaker will tell you how to make wine in a barrel. This is a fairly simple operation. Note that for aging white and muscat wines it is best to use old barrels that were previously used for this purpose. All other types of alcohol are best placed in new containers. Because old containers are depleted of the elements necessary for wine.

Young wine tends to release tartar stones. They are able to cover the surface of the barrels with a fairly large layer. Therefore, experts recommend that in the first year of life, the young drink should be treated with cold in large containers, and only then should it be poured into barrels. It is most convenient to do this in winter.

If you want to understand how to make wine in an oak barrel at home, pay attention to the temperature at which the drink matures. It may be different. Find out what the temperature regime should be for aging different types of wines:

  • strong - from 16 to 20 °C;
  • red table ones - from 14 to 16 °C;
  • white tableware: - from 15 to 17 °C.

Note that in any manual that indicates how to prepare wine in an oak barrel, you can read that the relative air humidity should be 85%. This value is optimal for solving the problem under consideration. At the same time, the air in the room where the drink will mature must be clean and fresh. Because the drink easily absorbs foreign odors.

To make wine in an oak barrel, you need to take into account many nuances. In addition to the alcohol production technology itself, you need to know other points. Particular attention should be paid to the barrels used. They must be of high quality. After all, the container used directly affects the properties of alcohol.

To produce wine in an oak barrel at home, you must use only reliable containers. If you use old containers, be sure to clean them. Otherwise, the alcohol being prepared may be contaminated with mold fungi, acetic acid bacteria, etc. These are the basic recommendations. Now you know how to make wine in an oak barrel.

It is believed that the Romans were the first to use barrels for storing wine. And they were considered as durable and easy-to-transport containers. And the Gauls were the first to use oak barrels to store wine.

But having met by chance, oak and wine formed such a close union that no modern technologies and materials can destroy it. We decided to understand the reasons for such a strong friendship, and at the same time take a short excursion into the peculiarities of aging drinks.

What happens to wine in a barrel?

The wine enters the barrel during the aging stage, which occurs immediately after fermentation is complete and can last from several weeks to several years. What role does oak play in this process?

Enrichment with oak aromas

In contact with the walls of the container, the liquid absorbs oak extracts, which complement the wine bouquet with new nuances:

  • aroma of vanilla, cinnamon or cloves;
  • notes of tea, tobacco, wood;
  • sweet caramel aromas, chocolate;
  • smoky tones - due to firing the inner surface of the barrels;
  • tannins.

Concentration of taste and aroma

During the aging process, liquid evaporates (annually from 2 to 4.5% of the volume), and the remaining drink becomes more rich and complex.

Excessive evaporation should not be allowed, since the vacated space is filled with air, from contact with which the drink quickly oxidizes. Through a special sampling hole, the master from time to time replenishes the barrel with wine of the same variety and quality.

Aeration

Although contact with air during ripening is not recommended, in small doses it has a positive effect on the organoleptic properties of the drink. Oxygen seeps into the barrel through the micropores of the wood, rivets, and technological holes. Under the influence of the oxidation reaction, the wine changes:

  • Tannins soften and the astringency of the finished product decreases.
  • Red wines take on brick tones, while white wines become noticeably darker.
  • Acidity decreases.
  • Fresh, assertive aromas give way to soft and ripe fruity tones.

Thus, aging in a barrel makes the drink more complex and rich.


What wines are aged in barrels?

Not every wine needs this method of aging. Traditionally, red wines are friends with oak, but their relationships also develop differently.

  • Light wines with a fruity flavor, such as Gamay and Pinot Noir, are often aged in oak, and Beaujolais prefers steel containers to oak barriques.
  • Complex wines are aged in new barriques, for example, Malbec, Grenache, Chilean Merlot, and Australian Shiraz.

Most white wines, due to the peculiarities of technology (ferment without seeds or skins), “from birth” do not have tannins. They are more fragile and are usually matured in steel vats. The exceptions are the white grape varieties Chardonnay, Riesling, and Chenin Blanc, from which wines are made that are aged in oak barrels.


Types of barrels

Classic wine barrels, as well as the unsurpassed craftsmen who make them, come from France.

  1. Barrique Bordeaux. It is a long and narrow barrel with a capacity of 225 L (59 gallons). The radius at the widest part of the product is 775 mm, at the narrowest – 560 mm. Barrique Cognac – 350 l. Barrick Porto – 250–260 l.
  2. Burgundy wine barrel. It is shorter and pot-bellied, with a slightly larger volume - 228 liters.
  3. Large volume products: demi-muy (600 l), botti (from 400 to 5000 l round or cylindrical),
  4. Pis or tonneau (Burgundy, 350 l), pis Champagne - 182 l, tini (from 1000 to 50,000 l).
  5. Foudre (Alsace) – 30-300 hectoliters
  6. Caratello – 25-200 liters, 1 hectoliter. Used to age Vinsanto in Tuscany.
  7. Pipa Anjou – 480 liters, pipa (Cognac) – 600 liters.

Small barrels are commonly used in home winemaking. Due to the large area of ​​contact between the liquid and the wood, the wine in them ages faster and becomes saturated with tannins.


What are they made of?

In the history of winemaking, there were attempts to use different types of trees to make barrels - chestnut, acacia, palm, maple, pine-pine, but none of them were as popular as oak. The reason for this is the optimal combination of density, aromatic and tannins.

The best types of wood can be arranged in the following order.

  1. French oak.

The most popular material for aging fine wines. Contains a lot of tannins. Depending on the soils on which it grows, the density of the core varies. French oaks include:

  • Limousin - suitable for aging strong and dense wines, cognac;
  • Vosges - for powerful concentrated drinks, well balances aromas and tannins;
  • from the forests of Tronçais – enriches with soft tannins and bright aromas.
If you want to buy Armagnac, pay attention to the aging time in a French oak barrel: the minimum aging period is 2 years.
  1. American oak.

Barrels made from it are denser and heavier. Compared to the French type, the wood contains less tannins, but imparts bright vanilla aromas to drinks. Most often used for aging bourbon.

  1. Eastern European oak.

In terms of density and tannin content, it occupies an intermediate place between the French and American species. It is considered ideal for aging white wines.


Conditions for storing wine in barrels

Barriques filled with precious liquid are stored in basements or air-conditioned rooms. If there are a lot of them, they are stacked or placed on racks - the latter option is more convenient for monitoring the drink.

The optimal temperature is 10–15° C. At higher temperatures, evaporation increases, and therefore aging accelerates. Low temperature, on the contrary, slows down all processes.

A prerequisite for aging wine in barrels is regular monitoring of their contents. At first, the barrel is checked and topped up every two weeks, then once every 2-3 months.

The standard service life of a white wine barrel is 6–7 years, and a red wine barrel is 5 years. Once the oak ceases to enhance the taste of the drink, the barrique becomes a neutral storage container. Sometimes after this they are sold to producers of strong alcohol.


Aging designation in different countries

How can you tell if a wine has been aged in an oak barrel? There are several common terms that indicate this, although such information is not mandatory. What are these designations?

For Spanish:

  • Crianza is a category of drink aged in a barrel for at least 6 months.
  • Reserva – 1 year of aging for red wines, 6 months for white wines.
  • Gran Reserva – the minimum period in oak for red wines is 2 years.

For Italians: only in certain appellations the term Riserva refers to aging. For example, for Brunello di Montalcino wine it is at least 2 years.

The term "Reserva" is also found on labels for New World products, but here it can mean anything, for example, wine style, but not aging.

Video about barrel production in Bordeaux

There are many fans of oak barrels among wine connoisseurs. But there are also those who like fruity freshness. Which camp to join is up to you.

It is believed that the older the wine, the better it is. In fact, long-term aging does not always improve the taste, and for some types, for example, French Beaujolais, it is completely destructive. Wine can be compared to a living organism: it matures, becomes ripe, then begins to age and ultimately dies. The length of the life cycle depends on many factors.

In Antiquity, wine was considered the best immediately after fermentation. This is explained by its rapid souring. In those days, there were no containers that reliably protected the drink from contact with air; as a result, nothing restrained the development of vinegar bacteria. Before the new shipment, traders sold their stocks for next to nothing. Only some wines were stored for several years in tightly closed clay vessels (amphoras) or barrels filled to the top. But this was an exception to the rule.

Greek amphora - beautiful, but not practical, wine quickly turns sour in it

The situation changed only at the beginning of the 18th century, when glass bottles and cork stoppers appeared, and barrels began to be fumigated with sulfur. New technologies have made it possible to store wines for years, gradually improving quality. A new era of winemaking has begun, in which proper aging is valued no less than skill in caring for the plantation, blending grape varieties and fermentation.

Wine aging is the process of storing a fermented drink under conditions (temperature, humidity, light, air access) that help improve its quality. During aging, poorly understood chemical processes occur in which organic acids are converted into esters and other substances that change color, smell and taste.

Young red wines develop a yellowish tint; after a few years, their color resembles tiles or bricks. White wines darken noticeably; they are usually not aged longer than 4-5 years, since this does not improve organoleptic properties. Interestingly, old red and white wines are usually the same color, being yellow or brown.

The sharp primary aromas dependent on the grapes are replaced by soft fruity and floral tones. Aging for 10 years or more reveals a third wave of aromas, mostly animal, that make the drink unique. After 2-3 years, the level of tannins in young wines decreases, due to which their astringency disappears. The taste becomes soft and balanced.

On a note

The aging period of wine ranges from six months to tens, and sometimes even hundreds of years, it depends on the following factors:

  • alcohol and sugar content - the stronger and sweeter the wine, the longer it does not age;
  • grape variety - wine from varieties with a high tannin content, for example, Cabernet Sauvignon, is stored better than others;
  • age of the vine - old low-yield plantations produce richer wine that can be aged for a long time;
  • soil type – good wine will not be produced on fertile soil; the vine must “suffer” on low-nutrient but well-drained soil;
  • weather - if there is a lack of heat or light, the grapes ripen poorly; if they are harvested in rainy weather, the wine turns out watery;
  • production technology - infusion of the wort on pulp and fermentation in a barrel increases the tannin content, increasing the aging time;
  • temperature – the lower, the longer the wine is stored;
  • container volume - in small bottles chemical processes proceed faster, leading to rapid aging.

Approximate aging periods for different types of wines:

  • dining rooms (white and red) – up to 3 years;
  • light white – 4-5 years;
  • light red dry – 5-8 years;
  • noble white – 10-20 years;
  • rich dry reds – 15-35 years;
  • the best reds of outstanding years - 80-100 years;
  • strong and dessert wines – up to 150 years.

There are two ways to age wine: in barrels and in bottles.

Barrel aging. Saturates the wine with tannins and oak tones. In most cases, it lasts from 4 weeks to 6 years or is not used at all. Barrels filled to the top are stored in special basements with an air temperature of 11-18°C and a humidity of 85%. Through the pores of the wood, a small amount of air enters inside, accelerating ripening. Every year 2-4.5% of the wine evaporates through these same pores, so you have to top up with wine of the same quality or better.



Barrel storage cellar

The barrels are made from a rare species of oak that grows in France. Each container lasts an average of 30-50 years, after which it is used to age cognac or disposed of.

Bottle aging. A mandatory step for almost all wines, thanks to which optimal quality is achieved. Depending on the production technology, some wines are bottled after fermentation, others after barrel aging. It is very important to protect the drink from any contact with oxygen. To do this, the bottles are hermetically sealed with corks, leaving an air chamber with a volume of 1.5-3 cm³ inside. The cork is filled with sealing wax or another similar mixture.

Bottles are stored horizontally (so that the wine wets the cork, preventing it from drying out) on special shelves in a dark room with a temperature of 10-16°C and a humidity of 83-86%. They are inspected 2 times a year for defects.



Rack with bottles

At home, bottles are sometimes stored in dry sandy soil in areas that are not flooded by melt and groundwater. First, dig a hole 1.5-2 meters deep and cover it with straw. Next, lay the bottles in a horizontal position, filling the gap with dry sand. The hole is filled with dug earth. Regardless of the time of year, it will always have a stable temperature.

P.S. In old wineries with rich traditions, there are enotecas– stocks of long-lasting wines from different areas, vineyards, plantations, prototypes and foreign standards. They are of practical, scientific, and sometimes historical value. If possible, I advise you to go on an excursion to such a place; local guides will tell you a lot of interesting things.