TONG N°10 / Bordeaux
TONG N°9 / German Riesling
TONG N°8 / Oak
TONG N°7 / Chile
TONG N°6 / Ripeness
TONG N°5 / Red Burgundy
TONG N°4 / Champagne
TONG N°3 / ¿El Futuro?
TONG N°2 / Terroir
TONG N°1 / Sauvignon Blanc
TONG N°9 / German Riesling
TONG N°8 / Oak
TONG N°7 / Chile
TONG N°6 / Ripeness
TONG N°5 / Red Burgundy
TONG N°4 / Champagne
TONG N°3 / ¿El Futuro?
TONG N°2 / Terroir
TONG N°1 / Sauvignon Blanc
© Millefeuille Press
TONG N°8
Oak
There’s a lot of soft talk and wild stories about oak. Oak remains an intricate subject in winemaking, and there seem to exist a lot of mysteries. Does oxygen penetrate the wood and diffuses into the wine or not, making it softer? Can new oak barrels be contaminated with TCA, causing a corky taint in wine? And so on.
Although the influence of oak on wine, like during fermentation, looks very mysterious and intriguing, the opposite is true. Scientists have studied the matter very thoroughly and many aspects of the interplay have been explained in detail.
In this issue we try to give a compilation of what has been studied about oak, from the planting of a forest over seasoning, toasting and maturation of wine to trying to link a specific barrel to a specific grape variety.
Next issue: German Riesling
Content
From tree to barrel
The complete process: from wood origin to oak treatment and barrel manufacturing
by Dominique de Beauregard
The flavour of oak and its impact on wine
How does oak develop its delicate aromas?
by Nicolas Vivas
Wine in the barrel
The interaction between wine and oak
by Wessel du Toit
Tricks of the trade
Oak chips, staves and powders
by André Rawyler
Barrels and grapes
In search of the successful marriage
by Nicolas Vivas
Some notes
About European legislations and prices of oak barrels and oak alternatives
by Filip Verheyden
The complete process: from wood origin to oak treatment and barrel manufacturing
by Dominique de Beauregard
The flavour of oak and its impact on wine
How does oak develop its delicate aromas?
by Nicolas Vivas
Wine in the barrel
The interaction between wine and oak
by Wessel du Toit
Tricks of the trade
Oak chips, staves and powders
by André Rawyler
Barrels and grapes
In search of the successful marriage
by Nicolas Vivas
Some notes
About European legislations and prices of oak barrels and oak alternatives
by Filip Verheyden
Dominique de Beauregard
An oenologist based in Bordeaux, Dominique de Beauregard was a winemaker for châteaux Rausan-Ségla and Smith-Haut-Lafite. He also worked on organic farming procedures and was a consultant for estates in Bordeaux, Bergerac and Algeria. He is now in charge of the Research and Development Centre of the Chêne & Cie group, an organisation of French, Hungarian and American cooperages, including Cognac-based Tonnellerie Taransaud.
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An oenologist based in Bordeaux, Dominique de Beauregard was a winemaker for châteaux Rausan-Ségla and Smith-Haut-Lafite. He also worked on organic farming procedures and was a consultant for estates in Bordeaux, Bergerac and Algeria. He is now in charge of the Research and Development Centre of the Chêne & Cie group, an organisation of French, Hungarian and American cooperages, including Cognac-based Tonnellerie Taransaud.
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Nicolas Vivas
Dr. Nicolas Vivas is an oenologist based at the University of Bordeaux, a member of the Academy of Science of New York and a correspondent for the Swiss Academy of Wine. He is specialised in molecular biology, the chemistry of red winemaking and oak; he is also Director of Research and Development at Tonnellerie Demptos in France.
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Dr. Nicolas Vivas is an oenologist based at the University of Bordeaux, a member of the Academy of Science of New York and a correspondent for the Swiss Academy of Wine. He is specialised in molecular biology, the chemistry of red winemaking and oak; he is also Director of Research and Development at Tonnellerie Demptos in France.
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Wessel du Toit
Dr. Wessel du Toit is a senior lecturer and researcher in oenology at the Department of Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. His research mainly focusses on wine ageing and wine chemistry.
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Dr. Wessel du Toit is a senior lecturer and researcher in oenology at the Department of Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. His research mainly focusses on wine ageing and wine chemistry.
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André Rawyler
Dr. André Rawyler is a plant physiologist. Among other subjects, he has worked on biological membranes in yeast. He now specialises in wood-wine interactions with barrels and oak alternatives and in wine polyphenols. A teacher of wine chemistry and laboratory practices, he coaches bachelor and master students at the Ecole d'Ingénieurs de Changins in Nyon, Switzerland.
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Dr. André Rawyler is a plant physiologist. Among other subjects, he has worked on biological membranes in yeast. He now specialises in wood-wine interactions with barrels and oak alternatives and in wine polyphenols. A teacher of wine chemistry and laboratory practices, he coaches bachelor and master students at the Ecole d'Ingénieurs de Changins in Nyon, Switzerland.
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Nicolas Vivas
Dr. Nicolas Vivas is an oenologist based at the University of Bordeaux, a member of the Academy of Science of New York and a correspondent for the Swiss Academy of Wine. He is specialised in molecular biology, the chemistry of red winemaking and oak; he is also Director of Research and Development at Tonnellerie Demptos in France.
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Dr. Nicolas Vivas is an oenologist based at the University of Bordeaux, a member of the Academy of Science of New York and a correspondent for the Swiss Academy of Wine. He is specialised in molecular biology, the chemistry of red winemaking and oak; he is also Director of Research and Development at Tonnellerie Demptos in France.
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Filip Verheyden
Filip Verheyden is TONG's editor and publisher. After a Masters in Flemish and Dutch literature, he worked as a professional chef in his native Belgium. In 2004, after being a food critic for 10 years, he launched his own publishing house and started studying about wine. In 2010, he was elected "Belgian Wine Personality of the year", and in March 2011 TONG won the award for "Best Wine Magazine in the World" from the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Verheyden is a Master of Wine candidate.
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Filip Verheyden is TONG's editor and publisher. After a Masters in Flemish and Dutch literature, he worked as a professional chef in his native Belgium. In 2004, after being a food critic for 10 years, he launched his own publishing house and started studying about wine. In 2010, he was elected "Belgian Wine Personality of the year", and in March 2011 TONG won the award for "Best Wine Magazine in the World" from the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Verheyden is a Master of Wine candidate.
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