The Influence on Wine Flavor of the Oak Species and Natural Variation of Heartwood Components

Abstract

Several American and European species of oak provide cooperage wood used for barrel-aging wines. Numerous studies have reported that wood properties vary widely among different sources of cooperage wood, but it has been difficult to establish the cause of this variation due to the number of factors that may influence the properties of the finished barrel. This article draws together recent research, from several different fields, on the natural variability of oaks, particularly of the European species <i>Quercus petraea</i> and <i>Q. robur</i>. It concludes that, despite the high level of heterogeneity that characterizes both species, the heartwood properties of the two species do differ. In the light of this conclusion the importance of the oak species is assessed for the use of oak wood in barrel-aging, particularly in the context of other factors likely to influence the wood properties of barrels. Finally, the possibility of better exploiting the natural variability of oak wood is considered in the light of our current understanding.