The Great Oak debate

Since the famous “Paris Tasting of 1976” where American wines (both red and white) beat French wines in a blind taste test with 9 top French tasting experts, there has been an ongoing debate in the wine community over American or French oak in the production and maturation of wine. Both are now considered as industry standards yet wine makers vary on their opinions of which makes the best wine. I know what you are thinking, “why is oak the wood of choice in making wine?” That is a good question and here is why, oak is a relatively tight-grained wood, which while being somewhat porous, does not allow enough evaporation or oxygenation to occur that could spoil the wine.

The main reason for the debate is due to the different influences the oak can have on a wine. American oak tends to impart more vanilla, caramel and cream flavors to the wine. Most oak used for wine barrels is white oak that comes from Virginia, Missouri, Kentucky, and Ohio. There seems to be very little difference in the regional character of the oak from these different states. Where as French oak influences varies in taste and aroma based on the forest area in which it was grown. Overall French oak tends to have more floral aromas with flavors of butter, spice and cloves. Another characteristic of American oak is the tannins are more subdued than when aged or fermented in French oak, this what makes most wines that use American oak smooth and with fewer edges.

Another factor for deciding on whether to us American or French oak is the cost. Traditionally, French oak is nearly twice as expensive as American oak. Since a barrel usually doesn’t last more than 5 years, this factor is taken into account when a winery chooses the oak they will use. There are less expensive ways to get some oakiness into wine. The most common way is to add oak chips or shavings to wine fermenting in stainless steel barrels. This practice is outlawed in Europe but is widely used in other winemaking areas. If the winery uses this method, it should state on the label that the wine has “oak influence,” “oak aging” or “oak maturation.” Also, several wineries are starting to use Hungarian oak barrels. They have similar qualities as the French oak but not nearly as expensive.

Our friends at Persimmon Creek Vineyards are using some Hungarian Oak for some of their wines.


There is no clear-cut winner in this debate. Winemakers have their own preferences as do wine drinkers. I am not a tasting expert but I can usually detect when oak is used in a wine. I definitely know when oak is over used in a wine and I am not a huge fan of wines that are over oaked. That is just my personal preference (be on the lookout for a post on oaked vs. non-oaked chardonnays). The finial decision on the oak debate is up to you, so enjoy doing the research!

Cheers!