SENSORY DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF A RED WINE AGED WITH OAK CHIPS IN STAINLESS STEEL TANKS OR USED BARRELS: EFFECT OF THE CONTACT TIME AND SIZE OF THE OAK CHIPS

Abstract

ABSTRACT The influence of adding oak chips to a wine stored either in a stainless steel tank or in used barrels was assessed by sensory analysis, using descriptive analysis as well as triangular tests to determine whether differences between the samples could be clearly perceived. Both the size of the oak chips and the length of contact time were studied. The results were also compared with the scores reached by wines aged in new oak barrels. The sensory analyses showed that when the wines were aged in tanks, the effect of adding oak chips was readily appreciated by the panelists and the differences were clearer than when the panelist had to differentiate wines aged in used barrels, with or without chips. Also, the panelists were able to clearly differentiate between wines aged in new barrels and those aged in tanks and in contact with wood chips. When the wood pieces were added to used barrels, the differences between the resulting wine and that aged in new barrels, although smaller, were still perceived, the latter reaching higher scores in the sensory analysis. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSAging wines in barrels improves their quality and contributes to their organoleptic characteristics. After a period of oak barrel maturation, the wines are enriched in aromatic substances, the color is more stable and mouthfeel complexity is improved. However, barrels are expensive, take up a lot of space in the winery and their lifetime is not very long. Therefore, alternatives have been developed in order to simplify the aging process while ensuring that the wood‐originated volatiles are released into the wine. One of these techniques consists of the addition of small pieces of wood, commonly known as oak chips, to the wine kept in stainless steel tanks or used barrels. These alternatives to oak aging were not a legal practice in European Union (EU) countries until last October when the EU approved the use of pieces of oak wood in winemaking and the designation and presentation of wine so treated. The rapid spread of these techniques makes it necessary to carry out studies to assess the influence of oak chips on the chemical and sensory characteristics of wines and to evaluate the differences with the traditional oak aging systems.