Years ago, a friend of mine – we’ll call him Woodchuck  – sat in our Volcano Vineyards Tasting Lounge telling me that he loved oaky wines – the more oak the better.  He wanted to be able to almost chew the oak.   While at times I have referred to him as a dog, I thought his desire to munch on sticks was extreme.

 
Winemakers will tell you that the decision to go heavy handed with oak is based on the quality of the wine – lots of oak is a great way to mask flaws.  Dominant oak flavors in wine should be a red flag.  For the first iteration of our Rogue Valley red blend, we had serious issues with the merlot – it was vegetal, green pepper  tasting – not too pleasant.  After aging the wine for two years in new American oak – voila – rich vanilla, coffee and smoke aromas and flavors.  The wine was big, lush and comforting, but the fruit flavors were totally buried.

 
Of course, having a preference for wines with the heavy oak characteristics depends on personal taste.  Red wines with detectable oak flavors are very popular – somehow, people have come to equate oak with quality.  Is this because new French oak barrels can cost $1500 each? When you figure that one barrel of wine will give you only about 25 cases, it is clear to see why those wines are a bit more pricey. American oak barrels cost at least half as much as the French oak.  But they do tend to impart heavier oak flavors to the wine.  We are researching Wisconsin oak barrels right now – all the subtle qualities of French oak with a lighter carbon footprint.  While it may seem a million miles away, Wisconsin is actually closer to Oregon than France.

 
These days there are ‘oak alternatives’ a winery can use, such as oak chips.  Instead of shelling out thousands of dollars for the barrels, you buy a bag of these and dump ‘em in.  Tad-dah: instant wood overtones.  These are the tricks that allow producers to churn out thousands of gallons of low priced wine. 

 
Over the years I have found that I now prefer to have the fruit dominate the flavors and aromas in my wines.  Fruit is, after all, what it is. And I am happy to say that with numerous bottles of vino therapy, I have been able to reform Woodchuck into appreciating the nuances of refined, well crafted and well balanced wines. Although if he asks nicely, I will still indulge him in the occasional game of fetch.

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