On oak alternatives, oenology, and Buridan’s donkey

If you’ve never heard of Buridan’s donkey and enjoy the odd paradox every now and then, you’re in for a treat. Buridan’s donkey, named after French philosopher Jean Buridan, is a philosophical paradox that relates to free will. It sketches the hypothetical situation of a donkey that is equally hungry and thirsty which finds itself between a stack of hay and a pail of water.  Unable to choose between the food or water, the donkey dies of both hunger and thirst. I’ll circle back to this paradox in a moment, so keep it in mind.

Oak alternatives – more than just an alternative

The use of French oak barrels in oenology is a practice steeped in tradition, romanticism, and history, but winemakers are increasingly balking at the high price of quality oak barrels. Let me ask you a question. What comes to mind when I mention the phrase ‘bulk wine’? I’m willing to bet you a donkey that you immediately thought of poor-quality wine. Similarly, many winemakers also associate oak alternatives with poor quality when compared to French oak barrels. But as Bob Dylan said, ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’.

Science in oenology – a Nobile® pursuit

Nobile® has dedicated years of R&D, carried out by some of the smartest minds in oak, wood and polyphenol science, to come up with its innovative and top end oak alternatives. Apart from the more attractive price point, the Nobile® range also offers the advantage of versatility of use, allowing winemakers to use them during fermentation and ageing. Compare this to oak barrels where typically only a small percentage is used during fermentation. Depending on what you want to achieve in terms of oak input and what stage of winemaking you’re at, there’s a product range that will suit your desired outcome. Let’s briefly look at those.

What ‘wood’ you like?

• Granulars are mainly used in tank during fermentation to achieve quick extraction, but can also be added to finished wine, should there be a need for style changes. The decision on which granular to use depends on the specific wine or grape variety and what you feel is lacking, i.e., tannin, fruit, structure, or sweetness. Granulars are easy to use and won’t interfere with pump overs or tank cleaning. And they’re available in a range of volume formats – from 1,000 to 1,000,000 L tanks. Big enough for you?

• Blocks give you more time to mature wine in tank, with optimal impact from about three to six months. Many winemakers also prefer to use blocks to ferment their wines on for both white and red varietals. After fermentation these wines will either go into new or used oak barrels, or stay in tank where tank staves could be added for further maturation. The Nobile® range of blocks offer a range of stylistic differences. For instance, they can be used on white varietals without overpowering the wine with oak impact. There are also specific blocks and toasting levels with more aggressive oak aromatics and mouthfeel, which winemakers might like as a component in their wines. We are one of the few, if not the only, suppliers of blocks and tank staves in varying sizes such as 7 mm, 12 mm, and 18 mm.

• Tank staves are perfect for red or white wines that need a rapid oak injection before early release into the market. Tank staves are perfect for oak maturation in larger format vessels to mimic barrel ageing and adding value to your wine. These wines won’t necessarily go to bottle, but they still need an oak component. Said component will increase the quality of your bulk wines, thereby giving you the opportunity to charge more for your wine. This is a prime example of a little bit (extra) going a long way – especially with your bulk clients.

• Barrel inserts give you the option of prolonging the life of older barrels in your cellar whilst adding freshness, structure, and vibrancy to your wines. It’s not always about oak impact on wines in older barrels, but more importantly keeping the wines healthy, fresh, and getting rid of those old barrel characters. Barrel inserts can be used from third to fourth fill onwards with amazing impact. Click here to see a short video.

• Nobispark® is an oenological bidule which is the result of a sparkling wine project to incorporate the use of oak during second fermentation. That’s not a lot of text, but a picture (or a video) says a thousand words, so click here to see a short video on it.

While there will never be a substitute for top quality French oak barrels, the Nobile® range offers the advantages of an attractive price point and the filling of gaps (should there be any) in your winemaking model.  Don’t see these products as an alternative anymore, but rather let them become a constant in your winemaking program. For more information, please contact Colyn Truter at co***@co*********.com.       

And now back to Buridan’s donkey. You, the winemaker, now have two equally attractive options. High end French oak barrels or the Nobile® range …