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Exploring Wine Vessels: Oak, Concrete, Clay, and Beyond
A Tour of Wine Vessels
French Oak
No material is more greatly associated with fine wine than French oak. Harvested from the species Quercus robur and Quercus petraea, French oak barrels are chosen by winemakers across the world for their profound ability to enhance a wine’s structure and flavor. The wood is porous, allowing for the slow exposure to oxygen over time, softening a wine and contributing subtle mature flavors, such as toffee and fig. The oak itself also has its own flavors—vanilla and sandalwood—that seep into the wine, along with beneficial structural tannins. The production of oak barrels, like winemaking, is an ancient craft and art in its own right.
Our Pick: Vinalia x Château Tiregand Pécharmant 2020
American Oak
American oak is cultivated from a different species, Quercus alba, grown primarily along the East Coast, as well as in the Midwest. American oak is typically not as tightly grained as French oak, allowing for faster introduction of air and more pronounced oxidative qualities in a wine. It also has several unique flavors associated with its wood, such as coconut and dill. While some winemakers believe American oak to be brasher and less refined, many of the world’s most collectible and critically lauded wines are aged in the material. While it is used alongside French oak in the United States, American oak is also popular in Australia, Spain, and Portugal.
Our Pick: Vinalia x Augusta Norton 2019
Stainless Steel
While oak can amplify a wine’s structure and soften its edges through the slow ingress of oxygen, in many circumstances a winemaker may seek the exact opposite. Stainless steel is completely inert, allowing a winemaker to preserve the freshness and purity of a wine without the effects of any given material. This choice can be extremely beneficial for more delicate aromas—such as those found in highly floral wines—but stainless steel is used across styles. While oak may be more associated with luxury, outstanding wines are produced in stainless steel at every price.
Our Pick: Vinalia x Bosinakis Moschofilero Rosé 2022
Clay
The most ancient winemaking vessel, clay amphorae are having a bit of a global revival for the unique opportunities they present to a winemaker and their romantic allure. The precise composition of the clay varies by local geology, and the size of clay vessels can range enormously. The famous qvevri of Georgia, as well as the historic tinajas of Spain, are massive—capable of fitting several people and traditionally buried beneath the grown. Like oak, clay is not entirely inert, and the slow passage of oxygen has a softening effect on wine stored inside. Its flavors, however, are quite different, imparting an attractive stony, savory quality into a wine.
Our Pick: Vinalia x Bodegas Verum Cencibel 2020
Concrete
Concrete has a very similar effect to clay in the production of wine. Rather than being shaped into amphoras, concrete is typically fashioned into large tanks. It was a common choice before the advent of stainless steel in the production of wine around the mid-20th century, and many historic wineries still prize their old concrete vats that remain in use. Like clay, concrete is also slightly porous, allowing for those same opportunities of subtle oxygen exposure. Many wineries, however, will seal the interiors of the concrete tanks with an epoxy or line them with tiles, reducing oxygen transmission and restricting flavor impact.
Our Pick: Vinalia x Bisquertt Carignan 2022
