Short note: Regulation of extractives content within oak wood used for barrique production by specific variation of raw material and process parameters
In order to guarantee a maximum quality standard of oak-barrel stored wine, (barrique), the optimization of defined phenolic and non-phenolic wood compounds (e. g. whiskey lactones), which are released into the wine during storage, is necessary to enable its unique barrique taste. Numerous factors play a crucial role for the formation of these substances within wood. Besides the origin of the wood material, also storage/drying time and defined further processing parameters are responsible for its extract composition. In the present work, oak from three different sources, which had been stored/dried for different periods, was subjected to a successively increased thermal treatment (steaming, toasting). It could be shown, that especially whiskey lactones, those wood substances, which have a decisive influence on the wine-flavor, can be controlled or increased by deliberate selection of the raw material as well as processing parameters in the course of barrel production.