History of the oak

Considered as a fine material, "par excellence", for containing wine, we should nevertheless be critical in its use. Only in this way can we ensure future use coherent with the search for quality.

There are two contrary reasons why oak has become the most important material rest and transport.

With the arrival of the 18th Century, the growing obsession for quality created a demand for hermetic seals which would facilitate rough journeys by land and extremely long sea crossings without a negative effect on the wine caused by external circumstances such as cold or pressure. At least there was a demand for some form of container which would withstand these elements better than jars or leather wineskins. So wood became popular, and of all the wood available the most innocuous was chosen - oak.

If we look back to the origins of modern enology we can see that our arguments in favour of oak as a tradition or as a means of ageing really only serve to tie enological evolution down to the technical necessities of two hundred years ago. It is true, of course, that in many cases this idea is convenient and worthy of promoting, but it does not mean that we should not open our eyes and compare our present technological means with those of the past. The old bodegas used oak to preserve their wine in cellars or caves for at least two or three years simply because the cold of two winters helped the spontaneous clearing enabling them to offer the wine in better condition. They saw that some vintages could only be kept two years but that others, (those of the best climatology), could be preserved for more. The oak vat or barrel did not age the wine, but it conveyed the idea of ageing. Their aim was to age or keep the wine in order to make it clear of residues.

In addition, the casks and barrels were very convenient for handling when shipping. It is hardly surprising that in nautical weight a ton is a thousand kilos, more or less the weight of the typical "tonneau" of Bordeaux wine (900 litres). One is led to think that the original aim was not to age the wine but to facilitate its stabilisation and transport.

After the bottle, oak has maintained its position as the ideal cellar container for processing, production and ageing.

Today, it must be recognised that many regions, which have regulated their systems of winemaking and ageing by basing them on oak, have done this out of an interest in maintaining a tradition of past techniques.This seems perfectly fair if one considers that at present only 75% of the wine produced in the world is consumed and that selling at a low price is dangerously easy. We can only defend ourselves by creating an image which may be debatable for technical reasons where oak is concerned, but it is ultimately beneficial to the vine-growing areas.

It is hugely paradoxical that we should call a material "fine", "par excellence", that influences the wine'colour, aroma, taste and composition. It may not be harmful and it is certainly traditional, but by no means is it inert.

In our case, and perhaps in that of other specialists in vines and wines, it is a fact that certain forest polymers help us in our profession but on the other hand create more complications and worries than the problems caused by the wine itself. We are referring of course to oak and cork.

We talk a lot of special corks, of first grade, second grade etc., or of French oak, American oak, sawn, split etc., but if we reflect on our words many of our specialists in this matter are simply full of pseudotechnical clichés, which is exactly the opposite to what society expects of us.

We have studied in certain depth, or at least such has been our intention, the significance of all these concepts from the enological point of view. From this starting point of doubt we have arrived at the conscious affirmation of the importance of the time spent by red Rioja wine in contact with oak.