Overa barrel

Winemakers are forsaking traditional oak casks in pursuit of more restrained flavours.

Wine has been stored in barrels for thousands of years. Originally, wooden casks were regarded simply as a convenient, watertight container, but gradually it became clear that certain timbers, especially oak, enhanced the flavour of the wine they housed.

Oak barrels can certainly boost the complexity of wine, but heavyhanded use of small, new oak casks can also create woody wines where the grapes’ natural fruit flavours have been swamped. The ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) movement, which emerged in the 1990s, was a revolt against overtly oaky wines.