Well yes, in fact we have a lot of big oak. We use mostly American and French with a few eastern European barrels just for good measure.

Have you ever wondered what actually IS the difference between barrels? Aside from the price, which is actually a huge difference (2009 prices: USA $250/barrel, French $850/barrel, East European $650/barrel), there are some flavor differences that are worth noting. That being said, they have much more in common.

All wine barrels are going to impart certain flavor characteristics to the wine such as toast, caramel, vanilla, cream and cinnamon. Barrels are toasted by heating the wood over a fire or with an electric heating element before they are used. Higher toasts will increase smoky, spicy, clove, vanilla, mocha, and toffee flavors while decreasing coconut and the color impact that the barrel has on the wine. Winemakers can actually order barrels with “toast” profiles to enhance flavors in their wine.

Other characteristics of the barrel that will affect wine are seasoning and tightness of grain. Barrels are seasoned or aged by sitting outside, typically 1 to 3 years. This has a direct impact on tannins. Three year seasoned barrels will produce wines that are less tannic than one year seasoned barrels, all else being equal. Tightness of grain refers to the size of the oak’s growth rings, the smaller the distance between rings, the tighter the oak. Tighter grained oak allow less oxygen to penetrate the wood so chemical reactions occur much more slowly in the wine thus flavors will develop more slowly.

Now, back to French and American barrels and their differences. French oak is more tannic due to the presence of ten times more ellagotannin than American oak. Maybe this is why the French prize the long seasoned barrels so much? American oak is sweeter due the presence of 5 times more 5-Carbon Carbohydrate, a sugar derivative, and has more clove & nutmeg due to tylose, a plant building block only present American oak. Lastly, American Oak staves are sawed while French Oak must be split which is the primary reason they cost more than American oak. Why must French Oak be split? Due to cellular structure differences, cutting French oak staves with a blade results in leaky barrels. American oak, however, has cells that when cut with the blade don’t leak. American oak also has the added benefit of producing coconut and vanilla flavors that enhance the wine.

So there you have it. As with wine itself, there are as many opinions as facts. Some contend that the variation in barrels has more to do with the location of the forest or how far up the trunk the staves are cut than the tree species (French/American). Our best advice is to taste a lot often and form your own conclusion.