What do oak barrels contribute to a wine and what is the difference between French and American oak?
White oak is the favorite wood used in barrels and imparts both flavors and tannins to wine. Typical oak flavors include vanilla, toast and smoke. The barrels lose their ability to impart flavors after 3 to 5 years of use and the oak character diminishes each year. Wineries who use new oak every year need to charge more for the wine because barrels are so expensive; a typical American barrel costs about $350 while French barrels can cost over $700. Many winemakers think that American oak has a stronger, sweeter character than its French counterpart. The other major region of the world that supplies oak for barrels is Hungary and Hungarian oak barrels seem to have a more smoky character than others. Most of the oak in America comes from Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and Ohio, but it turns out that the Appalachian mountains in Pennsylvania are a great source for slow-growing oak and companies are starting to make PA barrels. Most of the barrels we use at Manatawny Creek Winery are Pennsy
