Is Your Wine Oaky?

One of the most overused terms I hear for wine is oaky. It seems that this is the easiest and most well known term that people use, but do we really know what oaky means?

Basically, oak is a wood, and wines get their "oaky" flavor from sitting in an oak barrel for a period of time either during the fermentation stage or aging stage. What does oak do? It basically makes the wine richer in color, aroma, flavor, and body.

The two most popular oak types are French oak and American oak. With French oak, you will get flavors of vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. With American oak, you will taste vanilla, toasted coconut, and sometimes even dill. How the oak is "toasted" or heated can also affect the flavor of the wine. A heavy toasted oak barrel will have flavors of coffee and dark chocolate, while a lightly toasted barrel will have a nutty flavor to it.

Oak is also a good thing in red wines, because it will mellow out the tannins and soften the wine.