I enjoy red wine and drink a glass or two every day. I have read that
"oaked" red wine has more antioxidents than "unoaked" red wine. Since
I drink red wine anyway, I'd like to buy some that is aged in real oak
barrels. How do I find these wines? Reading descriptions in the
liquor stores doesn't tell me anything. I have been surfing the
internet and have found a few wine producers who claim that they use
real oak barrels, but I can't find their wines in my local liquor
stores. Are there any commonly available oaked red wines that are in
almost every store? If possible, I'd like to sample the difference
between French oaked and American oaked.
Thanks !!
Nia

"niatum" wrote in message
om...
I enjoy red wine and drink a glass or two every day. I have read that
"oaked" red wine has more antioxidents than "unoaked" red wine. Since
I drink red wine anyway, I'd like to buy some that is aged in real oak
barrels. How do I find these wines? Reading descriptions in the
liquor stores doesn't tell me anything. I have been surfing the
internet and have found a few wine producers who claim that they use
real oak barrels, but I can't find their wines in my local liquor
stores. Are there any commonly available oaked red wines that are in
almost every store? If possible, I'd like to sample the difference
between French oaked and American oaked.

At least with the larger wineries, check their web sites. Frequently, they
will have a listing of their products, with technical details (varying quite
a bit). This may well not work on a world-wide basis, but I have found it to
work on German, Australian, Californian, Washington state, and Virginia
wines.
A curiosity - are you really just looking for wines aged in oak barrels, or
are you seeking to find wines with larger quantities of the trace elements
which some medical authorities consider improve health (in moderation)? In
visiting some of the wineries in my area, I have been told by several of
them to seek out red wines that are unfiltered - that these wines generally
have a higher amount of the trace elements.
Jim

niatum wrote:

I enjoy red wine and drink a glass or two every day. I have read that
"oaked" red wine has more antioxidents than "unoaked" red wine. Since
I drink red wine anyway, I'd like to buy some that is aged in real oak
barrels. How do I find these wines? Reading descriptions in the
liquor stores doesn't tell me anything. I have been surfing the
internet and have found a few wine producers who claim that they use
real oak barrels, but I can't find their wines in my local liquor
stores. Are there any commonly available oaked red wines that are in
almost every store? If possible, I'd like to sample the difference
between French oaked and American oaked.

If all you're looking for is antioxidants, you'd be better served to
drink green tea, which is simply loaded with them. However, in answer to
your specific question, most any quality red wine will be aged in oak.
If you spend more than US $20 per bottle for a red wine, the chances are
excellent that it's been aged in oak. Less expensive bottles often are
oak-aged as well, but the odds decrease as you go down the price
ladder. For an example of a wine aged in French oak, try a bottle of
red Bordeaux or red Burgundy. For an example of a wine aged in American
oak, you can try certain California Cabernets such as Silver Oak that are
known for their use of American oak or traditional Spanish Rioja Reservas
or many Australian Shiraz. Typically, American oak is known for
imparting a more spicy character to wine, whereas French oak tends to be
more subtle.

HTH
Mark Lipton