USE OF OAK ALTERNATIVE PRODUCTS IN VINIFICATION

Traditionally, the best wines are aged in oak barrels. It is generally accepted that the quality of wines and spirits depends on their aging in contact with oak wood. The selection of oak wood and its maturation are mandatory stages of barrel production. Considering the many factors involved in the selection of raw materials and the natural drying phase of oak wood, it is very difficult to determine the effect of drying time and the effect of wood selection factors. Wines aged in contact with wood are in great demand among consumers around the world. Oak wood allows you to change the organoleptic characteristics of wine. Numerous phenomena occur during aging in wood and affect the structure of the wine. These are mainly oxidation-reduction reactions, dissolution of volatile and non-volatile components of wood, which enrich wines. Aromas derived from oak wood contribute to the wine's aromatic profile, and the main extractable polyphenols ellagitannins can alter taste sensations such as astringency and bitterness. Thus, all the compounds derived from the wood contribute to the balance and quality of the wines. These phenomena themselves depend on numerous parameters, including the nature and conditions of barrel production, as well as the storage temperature or the ethanol content of the alcoholic beverages to be matured. Aging of wine in containers with the addition of alternative products from oak wood is becoming more and more popular in all wine-producing countries of the world. The main reasons for the development of such products are the optimization of their production, the reduction of the cost of wine aging, as well as the improvement of the level of hygiene in production. This review discusses traditional and alternative winemaking technologies and their impact on wine quality and sensory characteristics. The rapid spread of alternative aging technologies justifies a study evaluating the impact of the oak alternative on the chemical characteristics of wines and evaluating any differences from the traditional aging of wines and spirits in oak barrels.