When we drink a glass of #finewine, we’re certainly focused more on our palate or company than on the making of the wine.
And when we think about #winemaking we envision all sorts of steps such as the grapes, the winemakers pruning their vines, the different seasons, the crushing, the fermentation, the bottling etc…
But what we usually forget about is the very important barrel component.
Note that only certain reds are grown in wooden barrels up to 3 years, a process invented to counter the tannins (so it’s usually for red wines made from strong tannic grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec for instance).
Wooden barrels are also used for certain white wines, but usually for a shorter time.
The tannins balance isn’t the only reason why winemakers are using wooden barrels. Most of them are made with oak, and the French oak is supposed to have the best properties for the job and used by the best wineries all over the world.
The reasons are linked to the type of oak which was planted in France, notably in the 18th century. I always wondered if that legacy was linked to French wine culture or a simple coincidence. Probably a bit of both.
And when we watch in that video the level of #craftsmanship poured into the making of top barrels, no wonder they come with a high price tag which eventually translates into our bottle price.
While some of the best wines in the world use French oak, some don’t use wooden barrels at all, so top red wine isn’t automatically associated with oak barrels.