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Article: commonsense winemaking.
- Article from:
- Wines & Vines
- Article date:
- October 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Wines & Vines. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Q: Our winemaker is fermenting our new Chardonnay in American oak barrels this year. Everything I've read before made me believe that French oak is preferable for Chardonnay. Which type of oak is usually used for Chardonnay fermentation?
It's a moving target; the oak types are changing. Thirty years ago, California winemakers were just learning what French Limousin oak could do for Chardonnay. I was told in 1968 that Limousin was the best type of oak for contact with Chardonnay, whether you were fermenting in the barrel or fermenting in stainless followed by aging in oak barrels. I had no idea what "Limousin" meant exactly, and I assumed that it was a particular ...