Environmental impact of oak barrels production in Qualified Designation of Origin of Rioja

Abstract

Ageing is a fundamental process and one of the most important steps in producing quality wine. In countries with a significant winemaking tradition, the maturation process usually takes place in oak barrels, due to their capacity to release compounds to the wine that enhance its properties.This article presents a gate-to-gate life cycle assessment of the entire production process for barrels for the ageing of wine in Rioja Qualified Denomination of Origin (QDO). The life cycle assessment (LCA) was developed on the basis of site-specific data from a production plant over one year. A global analysis of the main phases of the production process shows that the process with greatest impact in almost all the categories analysed is the treatment of the wood (Quercus petraea, Quercus alba and Quercus robur). This is due to the higher demand for and consumption of energy resources at the wood cutting station in the production of the staves and heads.