AU2001100034A4 - Oak addition to bottled wine. - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method to induce new and improved developments to oak flavours in wine after it is bottled.The development of wine characteristics 'in bottle' has, in the past, depended upon the prior treatment of the wine, and the conditions and length of time in storage. These limitations are overcome by a process to induce new and; improved developments to oak flavours in wine after it is bottled, by the addition of toasted oak (Quercus Alba, Quercus Robur and other Quercus species) to a wine bottle before filling with wine, leading to a longer period of oak influence than is generally possible in oak barrels. In one form of oak addition to wine bottles, a thin stick of oak, similar to or the same as timber used to construct wine barrels, narrow enough to fit into the bottles, is oven toasted and sterilized, hydrated in the wine to be bottled and added to the bottle, after which the bottle is filled with the wine and sealed. The form of oak used could be a solid stick of any appropriate length and cross-section, several moderate sized pieces of oak, or small oak chips or shavings in an appropriate, permeable bag, container or wrapping. The amount of oak used, the species of oak, the level of toasting, the shape and; size of the oak pieces will affect the rate of uptake of oak flavours into the wine, as well as the eventual oak influence in the wine flavour. The addition of different types and amounts of oak, or other timbers, to bottles of the same wine would produce different effects for comparison.