Issue 7

Barrique - from a tree to wine

Barrique - vom Baum zum Wein articles
200 pages (size B5)

Text: in German language
Summaries: in German and English language

Year of publication: 2006

Short summary
The objective of this work was to evaluate the use of national oak wood, in particular oak from a special origin in Burgenland (Austria), to produce oak-casks for winemaking. Barriques are small oak barrels whose inner surface is burned up by natural wood fire (toasting-process). This process is responsible for the "toasty" aroma of Barrique-wines. 15 casks were produced; 6 barrels from French oak (from Allier) and 9 from Austrian oak. To compare the two oak species with each other different drying methods (air-seasoned and kiln-dried) and various toasting levels (light, medium, strong) were applied. As interesting qualities the annual ring width, early wood percentage, and wood density were determined and compared. These qualities where identified as the most important characteristics for oak-barrel wood, beside the concentration of some important "aromatic" substances which are described in the second part of the work. Comparing the wood properties revealed some differences between French and Austrian oak, but they are not large enough to exclude one species from barrel-making. During the cask-production the toasting temperature and the time was measured. With this data, toasting levels could be exactly described. The evaporation across the wood was measured which resulted in high but not different values for French and Austrian oak. The aging period of the wine was 18 months. Analyses and tasting were carried out about all three months. A small part of the original wine was bottled and stored at 4 °C for 18 months to be used for comparative purposes. Over the aging period extensive chemophysical investigations were carried out. With exception of few parameters no variant-dependent, statistically secured differences could be determined. Two casks were not tight, what caused oxidative and micro-biological alterations. Thus the addition of above-average quantities of another batch of wine was required. Finally a current list (dated May 2006) of all Austrian coopers and their product range was written. Downloads
Vorwort
von Astrid Forneck Einführung in die Thematik der Barrique
erstellt von der Autorengruppe Producing oak-casks for winemaking of national and French oak -
a comparative study (Abstract)
von Michael Schusser Comparison of the sensory and analytic changes of red wine during
the storage in barriques from France and Burgenland (Abstract)
von Harald Scheiblhofer The influence of oak chips on aroma profile and sensory
characteristics of red and white wines (Abstract)
von Walter Flak Links

Bundesamt für Weinbau Bundesamt für Wein- und Obstbau in Klosterneuburg University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna
Department of Applied Plant Sciences and Plant Biotechnology
Institute of Horticulture and Viticulture (IGOW)
Landesinnung der Bildhauer, Binder, Bürsten- und Pinselmacher, Drechsler,
Korb- und Möbelflechter sowie Spielzeughersteller
Landwirtschaftskammer Burgenland