Compuserve Forum Poll: Does oak improve wine?

[Robin Garr]

Following up on today's 30 Second Wine Advisor topic, we invite your opinions about the value of oak in wine: Does a hint of wood always, sometimes, rarely or never improve the product? Tell us your opinion in this week's poll!

Click here to vote

Robin, I answered "rarely" as if the question were "do oak flavours improve wine?". But, in truth, I think that a simple answer is difficult. It depends.

If the barrels have been already used once or more, impart very little flavour and provide the benefit of gentle oxygenation, my reply is "usually".

With new oak, if the wine is sufficiently intense and/or the toast sufficiently light so that oak flavours integrate into the background by the time of drinking, my reply is "sometimes".

As for more assertive presence of new oak flavours, including practically all use of chips and the like, I reply "never".

That is very much like asking "Does salt improve food?"

observations:
1. for very 'grapey' hybrid reds, a touch of oak will often soften and even overcome that character
2. the ability of oak to cover up factors in the fruit comes in handy at other times too: overly ripe, raisened fruit from warm climates - the oak probably tastes better.
3. oak therefore NEVER improves aromatic white wines as it destroys their reason for existing
4. there is oak and then there is oak. the tight grained sort that gives subtle flavors can work very well with fine quality red wines. the more open grained sort that gives raw wood flavors is never useful.
5. oak easily covers terroir and the only region i can think of where oak is deliberatly a part of terroir is rioja.

[Robin Garr]

That is very much like asking "Does salt improve food?"

This is true. Do you use salt?

Text here says "does a hint of wood" , but actual poll says does oak improve wine. Certain;ly the vast majority of wines that enjoy (especially reds) see some oak, even if it is older/neutral. I've had some stainless reds, but I don't think any would make my top 50 wines of all time.

As Robin said here "a hint of wood", I voted on assumption we're talking about new oak, and voted "sometimes." I'm pretty sure all of the best Bordeaux I have had saw at least some new oak, and the same probably holds true for the better 1er & GC Burgs, CalCabs, etc (even "non-oaky" producers like Mugnier use 20% new). Some great Barolos see all old botti, so new oak isn't neccessary for a great red, but it certainly is a component of most great reds.

As Bill said, it's like salt. Helpful, even neccessary, but needs to be used judiciously.

I'm more a fan of whites that see no oak (Louis Michel Chablis!) than reds, but again it's like salt. Hard to argue to argue against oak if you love Cote d'Or whites.

That is very much like asking "Does salt improve food?"

This is true. Do you use salt?

Nope, not normally. Like oak, the most overused additive I can think of. The 'if a little is good, more must be better' syndrome takes over with both. Take a look at the sodium content on many commercially prepared soups some time. They are afraid that they won't be able to sell anything else to a salt'laden and hardened public - much the same as the winemakers adulterate their wines with often ridiculous levels of oak for fear that their wines wouldn't fit in with the others in the marketplace otherwise.

Also like oak, there are rare occasions where it does complement the food - coarse salt on top of a slab of seared foi gras comes to mind.

[Robin Garr]

Like oak, the most overused additive I can think of. The 'if a little is good, more must be better' syndrome takes over with both.

I think this was quite true in the New World in the 1990s. I think it's less so, now. The industry seemed to sense market revulsion, although it took them quite a while.

This is true. Do you use salt?

Nope, not normally. .

You don't normally use salt ? I tend to regard salt as a neccesary ingredient in most dishes. In Sunday's NYT magazine Rick Bayless was asked what the biggest problems most home cooks have- he answered "They don’t cook over high enough heat, and they don’t salt enough. " I know I've read similar comments from Marcella Hazan, Joel Robuchon, Judy Rodgers, and other top chefs. Of course salt can be overused, but dishes with no salt often have about as much character as a $8/jug of wine. Salt, like oak, should be used judiciously.

i agree with dale and rick bayless and the others - lack of salt is - along with lack of heat for browning - a very bad fault. one friend of mine was tired of seeing such quotes and decided to try using more salt. she reports her food tasting significantly better. i of course do NOT recommend morton's.