Oaking my Coastal White

[mmarty1]

Hi,

I'm making my first wine even though I've made many beers and even got started brewing beer just to get familiar with the process so I can start making wine. I'm going to go with the the wait times similar to what I've read in this article below since I've learned in beer kits (since moved on to more grains) that it's very beneficial to wait more time in almost every step so that you can let the yeast do what it does best and by allowing more time it tends to do very good job cleaning up after itself.

http://www.winemakermag.com/component/content/article/26/850-making-your-kit-wine-shine-redeaux

My question might be somewhat late since I've started fermentation today but I was wondering if I can add oak chips now or during the secondary. I'd like to get some idea if i can still do this since i certainly love oak aged wines much more than non-oaked but my kit didn't come with it. Also any advice on the best way to go about this even if it means buying a small barrel.

The kit is a Coastal White from Midwest supplies:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/coastal-white-white-burgundy-style-vintner-s-reserve.html

Thanks for any guidance I can get in this area.

 

[Julie]

you can add oak after fermentation and you can use chips, cubes or spirals.

 

[joeswine]

whites and oak

It's been my experience that whites and oaks as a rule don't partner up well ,with the exposition of chardonnay which partners up very well,usually 2 to 3 weeks on oak then remove,but that's just my take on it,most white wines are light and crisp,with not a lot of bother to them,sanignon blanc for example,has the grassy tones that it is known for ,pino gris,crisp and fruity,but you do what you like and that's important to put your touch on the wine.

 

[mmarty1]

Thanks you both Julie and Joe. I'll check the type of grape juice included in this kit to make sure it would be compatible with oaking.

 

[DirtyDawg10]

I agree that it really depends on what you like. I found by doing this to my first kit that a light oak won't be too bad but be careful not to leave it in too long or use too strong an oak on a white IMO. Mine was added in the primary and taken out for the secondary which isn't very long. The first time I tried it I thought there was too much oak. As it is aging it is becoming much more balanced and tasty. You will be giving up some of the fruit flavor for some of the oak flavor. So it really does depend on what your tastes are.