I think it is a matter for the craftsman or experimenter perhaps, but
how do you decide when to oak a red wine and when do you leave it
natural? I guess this applies most to people who are adding oak to a
wine rather than those who store in oak barrels.

I just fermented a single gallon from my father in laws unknown
sprawling vine. It's nice, I can't tell immediately post fermentation
if it would benefit from oaking next y ear so I thought I'd stick a
finger in the wind and see if any of you experts might throw me a
bone?

Jim

jim wrote:

> I think it is a matter for the craftsman or
> experimenter perhaps, but how do you decide when
> to oak a red wine and when do you leave it
> natural? I guess this applies most to people
> who are adding oak to a wine rather than those
> who store in oak barrels.
>
> I just fermented a single gallon from my father
> in laws unknown
> sprawling vine. It's nice, I can't tell
> immediately post fermentation if it would
> benefit from oaking next y ear so I thought I'd
> stick a finger in the wind and see if any of you
> experts might throw me a bone?
>
> Jim

Here is a thought. You like the wine, right?
If you did not like the wine, you would have
nothing to loose but since you like it, consider
leaving well enough alone.

Here is a thought, I know it sounds weird but just
for grins you could put a few oak chips in a
single bottle when you bottle it and let it sit a
couple months and try that single bottle. Of
course you would have to figure out how much (how
little) to add to a single bottle.

Next year try to make two gallons and oak one.

On Sep 30, 9:15 pm, "Paul E. Lehmann" > wrote:
> jim wrote:
> > I think it is a matter for the craftsman or
> > experimenter perhaps, but how do you decide when
> > to oak a red wine and when do you leave it
> > natural? I guess this applies most to people
> > who are adding oak to a wine rather than those
> > who store in oak barrels.
>
> > I just fermented a single gallon from my father
> > in laws unknown
> > sprawling vine. It's nice, I can't tell
> > immediately post fermentation if it would
> > benefit from oaking next y ear so I thought I'd
> > stick a finger in the wind and see if any of you
> > experts might throw me a bone?
>
> > Jim
>
> Here is a thought. You like the wine, right?
> If you did not like the wine, you would have
> nothing to loose but since you like it, consider
> leaving well enough alone.
>
> Here is a thought, I know it sounds weird but just
> for grins you could put a few oak chips in a
> single bottle when you bottle it and let it sit a
> couple months and try that single bottle. Of
> course you would have to figure out how much (how
> little) to add to a single bottle.
>
> Next year try to make two gallons and oak one.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I use roughly 1 ounce per gallon which is more than a lot of people
recommend, so 6 grams is what I would use in one bottle. Start at 3
and see what you think.

Joe

Excellent!

Thanks for the advice Paul and Joe

Jim

On Oct 1, 10:31 pm, Joe Sallustio > wrote:
> On Sep 30, 9:15 pm, "Paul E. Lehmann" > wrote:
>
>
>
> > jim wrote:
> > > I think it is a matter for the craftsman or
> > > experimenter perhaps, but how do you decide when
> > > to oak a red wine and when do you leave it
> > > natural? I guess this applies most to people
> > > who are adding oak to a wine rather than those
> > > who store in oak barrels.
>
> > > I just fermented a single gallon from my father
> > > in laws unknown
> > > sprawling vine. It's nice, I can't tell
> > > immediately post fermentation if it would
> > > benefit from oaking next y ear so I thought I'd
> > > stick a finger in the wind and see if any of you
> > > experts might throw me a bone?
>
> > > Jim
>
> > Here is a thought. You like the wine, right?
> > If you did not like the wine, you would have
> > nothing to loose but since you like it, consider
> > leaving well enough alone.
>
> > Here is a thought, I know it sounds weird but just
> > for grins you could put a few oak chips in a
> > single bottle when you bottle it and let it sit a
> > couple months and try that single bottle. Of
> > course you would have to figure out how much (how
> > little) to add to a single bottle.
>
> > Next year try to make two gallons and oak one.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> I use roughly 1 ounce per gallon which is more than a lot of people
> recommend, so 6 grams is what I would use in one bottle. Start at 3
> and see what you think.
>
> Joe

Oh, and I am talking about chips or beans; the stuff that looks like
sawdust imparts a strong 'wood' taste and is not something I like to
use.

Joe

Thanks for clarifying Joe. I made a select Pinot Noir kit recently
that used both the powdered and chipped forms of oak. I presume both
are available from my winemaking store - but I will bear in mind the
woodiness of the powdered version.

Jim

On Oct 2, 10:07 pm, Joe Sallustio > wrote:
> Oh, and I am talking about chips or beans; the stuff that looks like
> sawdust imparts a strong 'wood' taste and is not something I like to
> use.
>
> Joe

I used the infusion spirals with wonderful success
https://www.thebarrelmill.com/spirals.html

On Tue, 02 Oct 2007 22:15:22 -0000, jim > wrote:

>Thanks for clarifying Joe. I made a select Pinot Noir kit recently
>that used both the powdered and chipped forms of oak. I presume both
>are available from my winemaking store - but I will bear in mind the
>woodiness of the powdered version.
>
>Jim
>
>On Oct 2, 10:07 pm, Joe Sallustio > wrote:
>> Oh, and I am talking about chips or beans; the stuff that looks like
>> sawdust imparts a strong 'wood' taste and is not something I like to
>> use.
>>
>> Joe
>

wrote:

> I used the infusion spirals with wonderful
> success
> https://www.thebarrelmill.com/spirals.html
>
> On Tue, 02 Oct 2007 22:15:22 -0000, jim
> > wrote:
>
>>Thanks for clarifying Joe. I made a select
>>Pinot Noir kit recently
>>that used both the powdered and chipped forms of
>>oak. I presume both are available from my
>>winemaking store - but I will bear in mind the
>>woodiness of the powdered version.
>>
>>Jim
>>
>>On Oct 2, 10:07 pm, Joe Sallustio
> wrote:
>>> Oh, and I am talking about chips or beans; the
>>> stuff that looks like sawdust imparts a strong
>>> 'wood' taste and is not something I like to
>>> use.
>>>
>>> Joe
>>

There is at least one winery here in N. VA., Md
area that is using the spirals. I have tasted
the wine and it is very good. Some of the
wineries out here buy new barrels after just
three years. I personally think this is a waste
but to each his own. It might be possible to
pick up a so called "Spent" barrel and use
Spirals for years to come.

I went to the Maryland Wine Festival a couple
weeks ago and tasted a number of red wines. They
all tasted the same - like a new barrel.

There was very little to NO varietal character to
the wines. It was virtually impossible to tell
the difference between a Merlot, Cabernet Franc
and Cabernet Sauvignon. Even the Chambourcin
tasted the same. I guess some people think that
this is the way wine is suppose to taste and has
become the defacto standard. Luckily we can
tailor the wines to our individual taste.