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Rex Booth
Every thing you wanted to learn about oak barrels
There's a little bit of France in every great bottle of pinot noir.
Not from the juice itself, but from the oak barrel that surrounds the wine while it ages, imparting hints of toasty oak and spice.
Pinot noir is "all about delicate nuance of flavor," says winemaker Jim Schultze of Windy Oaks Estate Winery in Corralitos. He explains the important role barrels play in making wine, and why French, not American, oak is best for Santa Cruz's signature grape.
"American oak covers (flavor) up. The harsher tannins jump out at you," he says, noting that probably 98 percent of pinot makers use French oak.
French oak (Quercus robur) and American oak (Quercus alba) are two different species with diverse attributes used in winemaking. Like an American abroad, our native oak is brash and bold, with wide growth rings.
Because of marginal climate conditions in France, French oak is slow growing, yielding small, tight growth rings, allowing it to assume a lower profile in the winemaking process....
Winery owner Kim Schultze checks a barrel filled with Pinot Noir
at Windy Oaks Estate Vineyards and Winery in Corralitos (near Santa Cruz)
French Oak barrels play an important role in the making of wine
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That's for the discussion of oak barrels and pinot noir, Rex.
That's for the current soundtrack. Sorry, John. I had to mute.
The Good Old Days!
