Dummy Question

[MedPretzel]

I have a really newbie quesiton to ask, but since I don't make usual wines, I've never felt the need to use oak in my wines.





What exactly does Oak do to a wine? It gives it an "oaky" flavor is what I gathered, like it has been aged in a barrel, but I'm not sure if I have ever in my life tasted oak in a wine. If I did, I thought it was a natural part of the wine, I guess.





So, would my country wines profit/benefit from oaking? I mean, I don't imagine you can say something about a sage wine, I understand, but could someone explain to a person who has no idea the general jist of the oaking your wines, and the results? Sorry if this is a topic that is huge. I'm just not sure if oaking would help or hurt my wines at this point.

 

[masta]

I recently bottle my first two batches of red wine that I added oak to with Stavin oak beans. It is hard to explain the actual taste...but I think it is more of what it adds to the wine in making it smoother and more complex. It added anoak background flavor but also more depth to the wine and also mellowed it out.


Sorry I can't explain it better...these might also help:


http://winemakermag.com/departments/78.html


http://www.robertmondavi.com/WineFacts/oakBarrel.aspEdited by: masta

 

[AAASTINKIE]

the only question that's dumb is the question that isn't asked...

 

[MedPretzel]

You speak from my heart, Stinkie. That is my motto....

 

[Hippie]

Martina, you will only ever know if you experiment. Start with 1 oz. untoasted French oak in 5 gallons wine for 1 month of bulk aging and taste before and after and write down tasting notes. The wine should be clear and stable and otherwise ready to bottle. Alternatively, use a handful of untoasted French chips in the fermentation for a completely different and more subtle oak character. I do both, if at all. Edited by: Country Wine

 

[MedPretzel]

Thanks, Glenvall. I might jsut do that some day. But the question is, does oak go with mum wine? marigold? sage? rose-hip?

 

[Hippie]

Who knows? Experiment. Otherwise, we will probably never know. One thang is for sure, after you try the untoasted French oak, you will know if you might wanna try toasted or stronger varieties of oak like Hungarian or American.Edited by: Country Wine

 

[MedPretzel]

Wow, that's a lot of oak...


I might just try it soon. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Hippie]

Actually 3 oz. oak beansfor 3 months in 5 gallons of wine is about the norm for bulk aging, tasting every 2-3 weeks after 1 month.

 

[MedPretzel]

Oh. Well, I have no idea what I'm talking about here. (Sorry)


But that's like me in the rest of the forum!!! HAhahahaha!

 

[Hippie]

All the more reason you should be experimenting with other styles of wines.

 

[MedPretzel]

I know, I know... It's just to me, country wines are more fun than kit ones. That's just me, though.

 

[Maui Joe]

That's okay Martina, we don' have mums, sage and the sort. I would only learn that from you.

 

[MedPretzel]

Well, I can only suggest you make some sort of flower-petal wine. It's very interesting, and you probably can't find stuff like that in the store.





I am currently making a hibiscus wine which smells just wonderful. I am sure you can get plenty of those in your neck of the woods (or beach?)!!!

 

[Maui Joe]

I worry about the fertilizers and sprays that are used on them. I would think that the systemic chemicals that people use are also retained in the flowers as well.


What partsof the Hibiscus flower do you use, as well as roses? We have some awesome roses, gardenias, etc. I red-flag flowers that contain milk, like Plumerias and that sort.

 

[MedPretzel]

Well, Joe, you certainly can use the petals of the hibiscus flower. You are right when you talk about the pesticides that are used, but I wouldn't be too worried about fertilizers. They are mostly natural substances which help the flower to grow -- nothing chemically poisonous to the flower itself. I'd be worried about the pesticides/sprays though. Basically pesticide is just nerve gas, and I would be leery about that.


Roses: you can use the petals themselves (I have never done that, but it supposedly gives a wonderful smelling wine), or you can use the hips - rose-hips are when you don't deadhead the rose itself and let the "fruit" grow. Here on the mainland, they are usually ripe about middle of october. They turn orange/red at that time, and you know they are ripe when they achieve that color.





I am not sure if gardenias are edible, however. Check with your local extension agency (they are a wealth of information) about that. I have also used marigolds (not sure if you have them down there), but you also might want to see if Bougainvillea is edible. I'm not sure about that, but the flowers are just so beautiful.





I can check for you tomorrow if you need any more information.

 

[Maui Joe]

"Nerve gas," no wonder my wife uses that word..."whatta nerve" I must have inhaled some earlier in life .....now it's catching up on me!


I'm not sure if I am ready for "flower-power" yet. Oh I can't touch her roses, that would really be the end...she always clips them for a vase...poor plant, it will never see a "rose hip."

 

[Hippie]

Martina, I wasn't suggesting you make kit wines for the oaking, maybe use it in your scratch wines, whatever the type. Chardonnay is not the only usuallyoaked white wine, it is the only white wine that most folks know is usuallyoaked.

 

[Maui Joe]

If oak barrels from the past could only talk, many would be surprised.

 

[Hippie]

How right you are Joe. I still have trouble detecting oak in some wines when I taste, but my nose can make it out usually.