Why oak?

[Yaqo Homo]

And not other types of wood? Couldn't other woods impart a desirable complexity and aroma to wine? Is it a matter of cost?

[RicRios]

Now that you ask, it's absolutely true that barrels made of woods other than oak are used to impart greater complexity, but (as far as I know) not for wine:

"The barrels are organized in rows (batterie) from larger to smaller, each in a different wood (usually oak, chestnut, mulberry, cherry, ash and juniper). The vinegar ages and concentrates in the barrels, and yearly the smaller barrel get filled up with Balsamico Tradizionale coming from the upstream larger one and so on, until the largest barrel is topped with the agro di mosto produced that year."

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/food/tr...

Now, why what works for Balsamico Tradizionale doesn't work for wine? Beats me...

[maria lorraine]

Each of the 12 different woods in a batterie gives aged balsamic vinegar a separate flavor and nuance. There are two differences between the woods used to age balsamic and the oak used to age wine. First, the grain in the balsamic woods is looser than the tight grain in oak -- this allows the water component of the vinegar to evaporate and for the vinegar to become more viscous as it ages. (That's why each barrel is smaller than the last one.) Second, the tannins imparted by these woods are harsh, but the vinegar has 12 long years for the tannins to resolve and become silky, so in this case, the high tannins aren't a problem. They would be for wine aged in the same woods.

A balsameria or acetaia in Italy is quite interesting to visit. Seek out one if you're able.
Castello Banfi in Tuscany has a nice one, and of course, many are in the Modena area.

For more info on balsamic (nectar of the gods) please also read this CH post:
"Please help me understand Balsamic vinegar"
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/380970

[carswell]

Aligheri (and maybe other Veneto producers) age some of their wines in cherry barrels, which are said to bring out the cherry qualities in the local grape varieties. Some French, Italian and other wineries still use chestnut barrels (it used to be a fairly common practice in areas where chestnut trees are numerous) and Ontario's Cox Creek has a chestnut-aged Pinot Noir. Some California wineries -- Phelps among the more notable, IIRC -- used to use redwood barrels; no idea whether the practice continues to this day.

[maria lorraine]

Oak is used mainly for the flavors it imparts to wine. The best known is vanillin, the same molecule as natural vanilla, but there are others: spicy flavors, especially clove (eugenol); cedar, pine, and coconut (lactones); cinnamon and nutmeg (both eugenols and lactones); and smokiness (guaiacol).

Caramel and butterscotch (furfurals) are the result of toasting or caramelizing the wood, though those flavors may also be caused by ripe fruit with a touch of residual sugar, or by a malolactic fermentation.

Reasons oak is used over other woods: it’s strong yet bendable enough to make the staves that form barrels (apple and cherry break); its tight grain doesn’t leak or allow too much air into the barrel that could oxidize the wine; and its tannins are high enough to create structure in wine, but not so high as to overwhelm it, like chestnut.

Lots of oak nuances and subtleties... The oak from each of the most famous French forests -- Limousin, Alliers, Vosges, Troncais and Nevers – is said to impart a specific flavor profile.
Wacky fact: Chateau Margaux uses a specific oak that no other winery uses. If your nose is great at detecting the subtleties of Bordeaux, Margaux is easy to pick out at a blind tasting because of its singular oak smell.

American oak (though coopers have made tremendous advances) can taste stronger and more aggressive – the vanilla, coconut and smokiness, especially – when the wine is young, but it's being used successfully by some winemakers. The smell of coconut is usually a dead giveaway the oak is American.

A typical oak barrel no longer imparts flavors/aromas to wine after about three years of use. In Europe, you’ll often find neutral Slavonian oak used to make very large barrels called botti. Some of these have been around forever, and look quite beautiful in the caves.

Oh, and cost? There's, uh, no financial savings whatsoever to using oak, like your question implies. Just the opposite. Oak barrels for aging wine are expensive, about $700-800 each for French barrels. American barrels are cheaper, but not by much.

Last, the use of oak isn't always a good thing. Too much oak and you can kill a wine forever (oenocide). A deft touch is required. Not using oak at all can be quite wise, depending on the type of wine. Stainless steel (INOX) can be all a white wine needs.

[mengathon]

Thanks Maria, for that elucidating read. I'm always learning something past midnight on weekends on this board.

[bogie]

Excellent answer!

I once had the unique opportunity of tasting Chapoutier wines from the Rhone that were of the same vintage, varietals and vineyard. However, they were all aged for the same time period with Limousin, Allliers or Nevers oak. The differences between the wines were astounding and made for great conversation amongst us wine geeks that were present.

[Robert Lauriston]

I went to a tasting like that at Chateau St. Jean once, same wine from half a dozen different kinds of barrels. Very educational.

[Yaqo Homo]

Maria Lorraine, this is exactly the type of answer I was hoping for. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[Chad2505]

Can anyone suggest a source for the barrels mentioned above? Oak and chestnut are easy enough to find but the others have me stumped.

[maria lorraine]

I think you may find them but it will be take some digging.

Call or email cooperages and ask if they know of any companies who make the barrels used in making balsamic vinegar (acacia, mulberry, cherry, apple, walnut, etc.).

Call or email traditional balsamic vinegar makers in Italy (a batteria or acetaia)
and ask them where they purchased their barrels.

There is one producer I know in Hungary -- Kalla.
http://www.kalla.hu/index_e.html

[Chad2505]

Thank you very much. I've got a few emails out but so far they've been reluctant to share. I'll post anything helpful.

[zin1953]

Certain woods work -- oak, chestnut, walnut, redwood -- and certain woods don't -- pine, eucalyptus, fir.

Traditioally, one used the local wood. But oak -- in all its various forms (genes and species) -- has come to dominate because of its character.

[Robert Lauriston]

A Greek restaurant I used to frequent got a Greek white that had spent some time in pine. Reminiscent of retsina and just as unpalatable to some people.

[Bill Hunt]

" Is it a matter of cost?"

No, not really. It is based on about 1000 years of trying almost everything that a cooper could form into a barrel. Some winemakers have settled on American oak, while some on French oak - amazing who chose what.

Many woods have been used, but oak predominates, per the tastes of the winemaker and their clients.

Hunt