> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Bill: do you think that oak barrel wine is superior to carboy or
> stainless steel keg wine? Pls. comment. "

Depends on the wine. For red wines and probably most whites barrel aging
will make a better wine IMO. There is a slow evaporation taking place in a
barrel. This concentrates the wine flavors. There's something about the
oak that also smooths out the wine taking away those rough falvors you
notice in a young wine. While you can add oak flavor you can't duplicate
these other effects in a carboy or tank. My barrels are old and out of oak
flavor but I still use them year round. I either add StaVin American oak
beans or some French Oak chips that I have a lifetime supply of. There are
some white wines that are made without oak flavor. For these wines a carboy
is fine but if you have an old, neutral oak barrel that has only been used
for white wine certain white wines can benefit...such as Chablis-style
chardonnay, pinot gris or even my old Vidal.

Bill Frazier
Olathe, Kansas USA