BY Henry Work
Winemakers who ponder the question “What is best for the wine?” usually find themselves addressing a second question: “What can we afford?” Answering this second question often involves a series of trade-offs in the vineyard or cellar, as winemakers strike their own unique balance between quality and affordability.

With cooperage selection high on the list of most winemakers’ quality tools, how can you minimize your expenditures in this vital area while still meeting your quality goals? Here are some tips.

“ABCs” of barrel alternatives
The oaks of Eastern Europe are the same species as in France – Quercus sessilis and Q. pendunculata (reputedly sub-species of Q. robur). Q. petraea and Q. robur grow in Hungary and are the same species as in France. Admittedly the terroir is slightly different, but given the other variables of air-drying and toasting, the differences I have experienced in blind tastings are negligible. Purchased from reputable cooperage houses — and yes, there are many — barrels made from Eastern European oak will cost $50 to $150 less than those from French oak, while still providing elegance and complexity.

There are also barrels made from blends of French, Eastern European, and American oaks, in various combinations, which are less expensive than barrels of pure French oak.

If French oak is beyond the cost category for a particular wine, consider reducing the number of French oak barrels and substitute some three-year air-dried American oak. That extra year outside in the elements softens the American oak tannins. The wood shows nicely without the need for the heavier toast levels or for the heads to be toasted. And the less aggressive wood flavors allow the wine’s fruit to show through.

Also, high quality, not totally extracted, used barrels are available today, since some ultra-premium wineries use French oak barrels for only one or two vintages. The barrels are resold at between 50% to 75% of their original price — quite a savings, especially if they have been used only six months for Chardonnay. Look for these barrels in trade journal ads and various online exchange sites.

Inserts, cubes, beans, and chips
Refurbishing existing barrels has proven to be a solid cost-saver. Putting oak inserts into the barrels seems to provide more complexity than shaving barrels or the use of chips. The inserts are available in French, Eastern European, and American oak. Several brands offer wood air-dried a full two years and thoroughly toasted. While the inserts placed into a barrel through the bung hole are less expensive and easier to deal with, they provide only one-third to one-half the surface area of the style inserted by removing a head.

Another alternative is the use of oak inserts in tanks. Special fittings are usually welded to the tank walls, but once in place, the fittings remain as inserts are replaced. While the installation of the inserts into their framework is somewhat laborious, it can be done by the cellar crew, and can then be used to add oak flavor to large amounts of wine.

The price point for some wines can’t justify the use of cooperage, but the wine benefits by the taste of oak. There are many good chip (and chip-type) products on the market. Made with well-aged wood, thoroughly toasted, and relatively inexpensive to purchase and use, they add a depth of character and oak flavor to wines. These products can be added to the grape receiving hopper, into the tank before fermentation, into storage tanks, after fermentation, or into older barrels via stainless steel sleeves placed through bung holes.

A word of caution when using the chip products: consider your pump and wine-moving systems before dumping chips into the fermentor. The large diameter or long, splinter-like chips may clog a pump or damage rubber gaskets. Test your system with the various oak alternatives that you are interested in using before you get into the middle of harvest.

Micro-oxygenation
Another new technology for cost-cutting the barrel part of winemaking is the use of micro-oxygenation — adding minute amounts of oxygen into a tank of wine at a very precise rate. The cost factors of the oxygen generator, diffuser, staff training, and support services are far less than the equivalent tank capacity in French oak barrels. Running the system takes much less time than racking and topping barrels. Used in conjunction with oak chips or inserts in a tank of wine, taste character can approach that of barrel-aged wine.

Use of micro-ox to supply O2 to wine does require the careful attention of the winemaker as input needs are different for each variety and style. A new use of the micro-ox system has been to introduce O2 to wine in barrels in precise amounts and thereby eliminate the routine racking regimes. While this system does not eliminate the cost for barrels, it may reduce a significant amount of cellar labor.

Other tricks of the trade