Different Woods in Cooperage for Oenology: A Review

Abstract

Contact of wine with wood during fermentation and ageing produces significant changes in its chemical composition and organoleptic properties, modifying its final quality. Wines acquire complex aromas from the wood, improve their colour stability, flavour, and clarification, and extend their storage period. New trends in the use of barrels, replaced after a few years of use, have led to an increased demand for oak wood in cooperage. In addition, the fact that the wine market is becoming increasingly saturated and more competitive means that oenologists are increasingly interested in tasting different types of wood to obtain wines that differ from those already on the market. This growing demand and the search for new opportunities to give wines a special personality has led to the use of woods within the Quercus genus that are different from those used traditionally (Quercus alba, Quercus petraea, and Quercus robur) and even woods of different genera. Thus, species of the genus Quercus, such as Quercus pyrenaica Willd., Quercus faginea Lam., Quercus humboldtti Bonpl., Quercus oocarpa Liebm., Quercus frainetto Ten, and other genera, such as Robinia pseudoacacia L. (false acacia), Castanea sativa Mill. (chestnut), Prunus avium L. and Prunus cereaus L. (cherry), Fraxinus excelsior L. (European ash), Fraxinus americana L. (American ash), Morus nigra L, and Morus alba L. have been the subject of several studies as possible sources of wood apt for cooperage. The chemical characterization of these woods is essential in order to be able to adapt the cooperage treatment and, thus, obtain wood with oenological qualities suitable for the treatment of wines. This review aims to summarize the different species that have been studied as possible new sources of wood for oenology, defining the extractable composition of each one and their use in wine.

Alternative Woods in Enology: Characterization of Tannin and Low Molecular Weight Phenol Compounds with Respect to Traditional Oak Woods. A Review

“…Customs in wine aging are changing since in many winemaking regions of the world the widespread use of new oak barrels (or those used for a limited period) is increasing. This trend is generating an increase in new barrel demand, which in turn has resulted in a need for exploring new sources of quality wood for cooperage [2]. Consequently, oaks from different European countries (Hungary, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Slovenia, Romania, Moldova, Spain and Portugal) have entered the market as alternatives to traditional woods [2].…”

“…This trend is generating an increase in new barrel demand, which in turn has resulted in a need for exploring new sources of quality wood for cooperage [2]. Consequently, oaks from different European countries (Hungary, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Slovenia, Romania, Moldova, Spain and Portugal) have entered the market as alternatives to traditional woods [2]. Most of them are of the same French species (Q. petraea or Q. robur) but sold at a lower price.…”

Wine Aging Technology: Fundamental Role of Wood Barrels

“…Fermentation and maturation were done on earthenware jars and amphorae, which were cheap and very common, but had a series of inconveniences, as they were fragile, heavy and difficult to handle. With the advancement of technology and in order to solve these problems, barrels were developed [1,2]. Wooden barrels begun being widely used as containers for oil and wine more than 2000 years ago in Northern Europe, under control of the Roman Empire since clay was not as easily available in those regions [3,4].…”

“…However, wines can be aged in a traditional way using other materials different from wood such as cement or steel, but these are not so appreciated as they do not confer to the beverages the unique aromas that wood barrels transfer to the products [8]. The development of these alternative materials is mainly due to an increase in global demand for wood barrels, especially those of oak, with the aim of reproducing the chemical and physical processes experienced by the wines during their aging in barrels [2]. The use of wood barrels for wine aging involves long times (from 6 to 18 months in barrels) and high economic costs, so various techniques have been investigated to obtain similar products.…”

Evaluation of Fruit and Vegetable Containers Made from Mulberry Wood (Morus Alba L.) Waste

“…The wine's contact with the wood during the fermentation and ageing processes produces significant changes in its chemical composition and organoleptic properties, modifying its final quality. In this regard, studies have been developed on mulberry barrels for oenology, defining the extractable composition of each type of barrel and their use in wine production [21].…”