Why is the surface area to volume ratio of a wine barrel important?
Oak (or any other wood) tends to ‘breathe’. That is, it lets small amounts of oxygen in and out of the wine over time. A small, limited amount of aeration is good for wine, as it promotes the aging process. Too much aeration is ‘un-healthy’ for the wine, as it will cause oxidation—making the wine go bad over time. Small oak barrels (say five gallon containers) have larger surface area to volume ratio (see barrel calculation page)—This small ratio allows for the rate of the wine aeration to be too large, increasing the risk of oxidation of the wine. Oak barrels that are fifty to sixty gallon gallons in size contain the optimal surface area to volume ratio to allow for a minimal, but beneficial aeration rate. Additionally, due to the large surface area to volume ratio of smaller wine barrels (say five gallons) – the rate at which the wine absorbs the oak ‘flavor’ is much greater that the rate in which wine absorbs the oak ‘flavor’ in the optimal sized fifty to sixty gallon barrel. As a r
