New Materials for the Aging of Wines and Beverages: Evaluation and Comparison

Abstract

Abstract The use of oak barrels for the aging of fine wines has been common practice for many years, because it improves the quality of red wines by providing characteristics desired by the consumer. The influence that using barrels as containers has on wine aging is already well known, not only since oak wood releases compounds which interact with wine, but also because barrels allow mild microoxygenation during the process, a key aspect in obtaining the desired results. Therefore, the oxygen, as well as the wood compounds that are transferred into the wine, are the factors that make the oak barrel such a popular and successful container for storing and aging wine. Despite these features, renovating these short-lived barrels is very expensive so other options are being developed, such as alternative vessels based on new materials or the recovery of discarded materials, which, with the improvement in manufacturing technology, are becoming real alternatives for aging fine wines and spirits. This chapter presents in detail the operation of oak barrels based on the recent advances in the area, and analyzes the new alternatives that attempt to reproduce the operation of a wooden oak barrel.