The benefits of French oak in your oak barrel programmes

There are many reasons why oak has become the preferred choice when building wine barrels. Due to the softness of oak, it only requires minimal toasting and is easy to bend into the traditional barrel shape. Oak is abundant in the forests of Europe, and its tight grain offered early winemakers a safe storage medium for holding wine. 

Wine is an important part of French culture, and as a result, French oak barrels are highly regarded around the world. A large proportion of premium and high quality wines are fermented in French oak barrels. Quercus petraea and quercus robur are the two types of oak grown in France, located in France’s five forests Allier, Limousin, Nevers, Tronçais and Vosges. 

French oak tends to have smoother, more elegant flavours with notes of cedar, cigar, dark chocolate, nutmeg, allspice and crème brulée. French oak is well paired with Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Chardonnay as they soak up flavour more easily than other grape varieties, but may be used across a number of wine grapes depending on your winemaking style. 

One of the most important benefits is that the aromas and flavours imparted by French oak barrels do not overpower the grape, but complement it, making French oak wine barrels ideal for a large variety of reds and white. 

Grown throughout France, oak trees produce a variety of grain ranging from a coarse grain, medium, fine and super fine with old growth trees having the tightest grain.