Which wood is best for which wine?

[drinkanddine]

Hi there,

I intend to start a small wine making business and as I have no experiences so far, I was wondering if the wood influences the wine in its taste and so on ... I mean, sure it does, but are there some golden rules to be followed, for example for red wine?

[NorthernWiner]

The short answer is "yes".

But rather than go through a long list, do you have any specific red wines you are curious about?

[Cellar_Rat]

Absolutely there is. In lots of ways.

Will it be mainly red or white wine?

[drinkanddine]

I do intend to work in red wine. Specific red wines? Well, no decision made yet.

[SleepyDave]

The following link may be helpful to you: www.eckraus.com/wine-making-oak/

[NorthernWiner]

I do intend to work in red wine. Specific red wines? Well, no decision made yet.

Since you live in Saxony, and I'm presuming (perhaps incorrectly?) your grapes will also come from this region, you're probably limited to just a few red varieties. Of these, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and Dornfelder are the most popular. Pinot Noir has a natural affinity for French oak. The flavors go very well together. Dornfelder, I'm not real familiar with, but if it's a heavier red wine, you could age it in almost any kind of European or American oak. The choice would be up to you. American oak has more vanilla and toasted coconut attributes, while French and Hungarian offer notes of caramel and smoke.

The white grape varieties of Saxony are typical of Germany in general - Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris/Blanc. Very aromatic varieties. Personally I would age these in steel tanks without oak, since oak buries floral aromas. If you wanted, you could age Pinot Gris in French oak, but you may want to limit it to neutral barrels.

This is all opinion, of course. There is not really any right or wrong, just what's typical.