Boisé® Oak Alternatives: Applications and Uses in Winemaking

For centuries, winemakers have appreciated the benefits of aging wine in oak barrels. The reason for this is the fact that oak imparts a unique flavour and aroma to the wine that is desirable in certain types of wine, such as Merlots, Pinot Noir, Cabernets, Burgundy and Semillon just for some examples. Results will vary depending upon the type of oak the barrels contain, and at times, the barrels will lose their oaking ability. For these reasons and others, winemakers turn to Boisé® oak alternatives in order to control the oaking process on a higher level.

Boisé® Is a Worldwide Leader in Oak Alternatives

For over 20 years, Boisé® has provided high-quality oak alternatives to winemakers. In fact, this company is a pioneer with precision winemaking. Their alternatives contain French oak chips, which offer consistent results regardless of the type of wine. Boisé® understands fully how wine and oak interact with each other to bring about favourable results.

The Purpose for Oak Alternatives

Before you add oak alternatives to your winemaking process, you need to understand the purpose of performing this action. The reason for doing this is to increase the surface contact that the wine has with the oak, which is tricky to control if you just use barrels. When you increase this surface contact, you can decrease the time the wine needs to age to reach desirable results with oaking. Oak chips such as the ones from Boisé® provide an ideal alternative for this process since they are readily available, come in various types and the wine is easy to rack off them without unwanted sediment in your finished product. You can add the oak alternatives during the fermentation stage or after the racking of the wine takes place if you prefer for bulk aging.

Winemakers Can Select From a Wide Assortment

You can choose from a wide variety of Boisé® oak alternatives. Each choice provides unique organoleptic characteristics that help you influence the balance, taste and aroma of the wine. Below, you can read about a sampling of the choices available to you in these oak alternatives:

• BOISEAFR offers aromatic freshness along with a vivacity when it comes into contact with the mouth
• BOISEBF is an untoasted oak that translates into volume and fruitiness in the mouth
• BOISEDC190 adds caramel and grilled notes to your wine
• BOISEDC210 provides your wine with smoked and toasted notes

To learn further facts about the Boisé® oak alternatives, turn to Grapeworks Consumables. We provide a large selection of products, packaging, machinery and equipment to help bring your wine recipes to fruition in a quality manner.