Impact of oak staves seasoning time on barrels and wines quality | Incidence de la duree de sechage des merrains sur la qualite des futs et des vins
2008
Auer, J. | Rawyler, A. | Dumont-Beboux, N., Ecole d'ingenieurs de Changins, Nyon (Switzerland)
Seasoning of cooperage oak wood is mainly aimed at decreasing relative humidity of fresh wood between 14 and 18%, in order to optimize the mechanical, oenological and organoleptic properties of staves. When staves are seasoned in open air, they may require up to 2-3 years to reach such humidity levels and to modify their initial chemical composition, depending on stave thickness and on climatic conditions (temperature, air humidity, rain, wind, etc.). A too short seasoning period usually degrades the aromatic properties of wood and thus of wine. Immature staves contain aromatic and polyphenolic compounds, some of which being responsible for bitter and drying tastes of casked wines. In order to optimize barrel construction and toasting, the influence of seasoning time on wine quality was examinated in a cooperage of central Switzerland.
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