On Sep 5, 8:54*am, gene > wrote:
> wrote:
>
> <clipped>
>
>
>
> > This has been an interesting thread and I appreciate all the comments.
> > Just to add my 2 liters worth here, I haven't tried the wines from
> > Virginia but have heard some nice things. As for the winery that gets
> > new barrels every year, I don't understand why. First of all the
> > expense would be considerable and there is a lot of aging left in a
> > wine barrel. If I am not mistaken, you should be able to use a barrel
> > for 5 years. Then I would hope they re-sell it to the home winemaker,
> > like me who is glad to get a bit more oak out of it. A new barrel each
> > year would greatly over oak the wine I would think.
>
> <clipped>
>
> > Salute!
> > Orlando
>
> Are you sure you'll be extracting oak flavor from an oak barrel after 5
> years use? If I'm not mistaken, they're generally considered to be
> 'neutral' for oak extraction after the fourth year (some even after the
> third year).
>
> You'll still get micro-oxygenation and flavor concentration (due to
> evaporation) after that, so the barrel is still useful, but *I think
> you'd have to add a new stave or three (i.e. part of a "chain-of-oak" or
> equivalent) to get noticeable oak flavor.
>
> Gene

Gene -
I was not sure about using a barrel for 5 years, so I appreciate your
comment. While I personally wouldn't attempt to add staves to a
barrel, oak probably should be added pehaps oak spirals could be used.
I don't have any experience with them but I would imagine that they
would enhance the oak of an old barrel.
Orlando