🍷 Barrel toasting
Heating the inside of a barrel over fire; the degree of toast shapes the wine's taste.
Barrel toasting is heating a barrel from the inside over a fire. A barrel is first assembled from oak staves, then set over a small fire of wood chips or logs. The fire scorches the inner surface. This is done for two reasons: to help the wood bend during assembly and to change the flavour.
The level of toast decides how the barrel affects the wine. Light toast gives soft wood and vanilla notes. Medium adds toast, caramel and spice. Heavy gives coffee, smoke and burnt sugar. The winemaker chooses the toast for the wine type: light suits delicate whites, heavier suits robust reds.
Toasting is part of oak ageing. The heavier it is, the stronger the taste of wood in the wine. New barrels pass on more flavour, while old ones pass on almost none. Barrels are ordered from coopers, who state the toast level. It is one of those details that give a wine a recognisable style, so people pay attention to it.
Links
- Previous step
- 🏷️ Oak ageing
- Part of
- 🍷 Oak barrel
Frequently asked questions
What is barrel toasting?
Heating the inside of an oak barrel over a fire, which affects the flavour of the wine.
How does toasting affect wine?
Light toast gives vanilla and soft wood, medium gives toast and caramel, heavy gives coffee and smoke.
Why are barrels toasted?
So the wood bends during assembly and to change the flavour of the wine.
Similar
🍷 Puncheon · 🍷 Bung · 🍷 Pièce (Burgundy barrel) · 🍷 Foudre · 🍷 Stave · 🍷 Barrel hoop