French Oak Chips Research Articles

Understanding Wood Polysaccharide Depolymerization and Denaturation Under Different Toasting Conditions Through Analysis of Sugars Extracted from French Oak Chips

Understanding Wood Polysaccharide Depolymerization and Denaturation Under Different Toasting Conditions Through Analysis of Sugars Extracted from French Oak Chips

Quantitative analysis of sugars extracted from French oak (<i>Quercus petraea</i>) chips: Effect of toasting temperature

In this study, we conducted extraction experiments using model wine on French oak chips toasted at various temperatures to investigate the extracted sugars. A certain amount of sugars were extracted from the oak chips, and the quantity significantly varied depending on the toasting temperature. Analysis of the composition of the extracted sugars revealed the presence of substantial amounts of xylose and glucose, with the composition showing significant differences based on the toasting temperature. Furthermore, it was elucidated that the extracted sugars included monosaccharides and oligo or polysaccharides. This research represents the first comprehensive analysis correlating the toasting temperature with the extraction of a substantial amount of sugars from toasted chips.

Quantitative analysis of sugars extracted from French oak (<i>Quercus petraea</i>) chips: Effect of toasting temperature

In this study, we conducted extraction experiments using model wine on French oak chips toasted at various temperatures to investigate the extracted sugars. A certain amount of sugars were extracted from the oak chips, and the quantity significantly varied depending on the toasting temperature. Analysis of the composition of the extracted sugars revealed the presence of substantial amounts of xylose and glucose, with the composition showing significant differences based on the toasting temperature. Furthermore, it was elucidated that the extracted sugars included monosaccharides and oligo or polysaccharides. This research represents the first comprehensive analysis correlating the toasting temperature with the extraction of a substantial amount of sugars from toasted chips.

The use of oak chips during the fermentation process: effects on phenolic compounds profile and antioxidant activity in Syrah young wines

The oak chip is an alternative to the traditional barrels in winemaking in order to improve the aged quality of the red wines. This study investigated the influence of adding of oak chips during the fermentation process in phenolic compounds profile and antioxidant activity. The American (Quercus Alba) and/or French (Quercus Petreae) oak chips were added (4g L−1 doses) in the alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation or solemnly in the malolactic fermentation. Results indicated that Syrah tropical wines presented higher levels (≥265,44 mg L−1) of phenolic compounds compared to wines fermented with oak chips (222,71–254,36 mg L−1). However, the wine with French oak chip added during malolactic fermentation showed a higher antioxidant activity for ORAC method. This study offers a practical application of oak chips in winemaking process as an alternative to produce quality young red wines with low cost to the wineries in places of oak barrels.

Effects of Oak Chip Treatments on Quality of Dry White Wines During Aging

The objective of the research was to evaluate the effect of different oak chip treatments on quality of Longyan dry white wine during aging. Phenolic substances, antioxidant activity and Cu2+ reduction force were measured. The results showed that wines treated with French oak chips (6 g/L) had significantly higher contents of total phenols (0.083 mg/mL) and flavonoids (0.063 mg/mL), also the highest total antioxidant capacity (47.853 U/mL) was observed. However the scavenging rate of DPPH free radicals and hydroxyl radical scavenging rate were the highest in samples aged with American oak chips (6 g/L) and Yanshan oak chips (2 g/L), respectively. As for 12 monomer phenols determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, French oak chips can contribute to the formation of monomer phenols, especially the generation of syringaldehyde (15.134 mg/L) and guaiacol (17.345 mg/L). Cu2+ reduction ability of wine sample increased with the increase of oak chips content. Correlation analysis revealed that the monomer phenols had a strong correlation with total antioxidant capacity, DPPH radical scavenging rate and hydroxyl radical scavenging rate. Understanding the influence of oak chips on wine properties could aid to lay a theoretical foundation for the effective use of oak chips in wine.

Evaluation of Aroma Compounds in the Process of Wine Ageing with Oak Chips.

Many modern alcoholic beverages are subjected to ageing processes during which compounds extracted from wood contribute decisively to the overall beverage character. Wines represent a perfect example of beverage in which ageing is a crucial technological manufacturing step. During winemaking, producers accelerate chemical changes in wine composition by traditional and alternative methods, such as the use of oak wood barrels and/or oak wood chips. Our research aimed to investigate the overall volatile composition and sensory quality of red wines aged for two timeframes, namely, 1.5 and 3 months, and with two technological variants, i.e., American and French oak wood chips. Red grapes from the Fetească neagră (Vitis vinifera) variety were harvested from a vineyard in the North-East region of Romania. Stir bar sorptive extraction and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (SBSE–GC–MS) was used to extract minor aromas present in wine samples. The results showed clear differences between wines treated with American and French oak chips. Furthermore, ageing for 3 months increased the concentration of cis-whiskey lactone and guaiacol in American oak-treated wine samples. For wines aged with French oak chips, we observed higher concentrations of furfural, 5-methylfurfural, 4-vinylguaiacol, and trans-whiskey lactone. The increased presence of chemical compounds in wine aged with French oak chips generated prominent smoky, licorice, and toasty aromas, whereas in wines aged with American oak chips, notes of vanilla, toasty, and cacao aromas were noticed. Moreover, red wines aged with American and French oak chips were discriminated by chemometric analysis, which confirmed the evolution of aroma compounds.

Sensory profile and check-all-that-apply (cata) as tools for evaluating and characterizing syrah wines aged with oak chips.

Aging wine in oak barrels provides more complexity to the beverage, but due to the high cost of wood barrels, alternative aging methodologies such as the use of oak chips gain interest of winemakers in the new world of wines, particularly in the tropical regions. This paper reports the sensory profile and consumer perception of Syrah wine produced in the São Francisco Valley, Brazil, with the addition of American and French oak chips at different stages of the fermentation process. Higher intensity of color, coffee, woody, and sweet/caramelized aromas, sweet and woody taste were observed in the age wines as compared to a control wine (no chip addition). An affective sensory test (N = 129) revealed two segments of consumers exhibiting different attitudes to the wines: one group (N = 60) rejected all samples, whereas the other (N = 69) liked them moderately. In short, the findings provide relevant information for stakeholders in the new world of wine where oak barrels impact negatively on the cost of production of wines, as is the case in Brazil.

Impact of cherry, acacia and oak chips on red wine phenolic parameters and sensory profile

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Aim:</strong> The evolution of global phenolic parameters and the sensory profile of a Portuguese red wine aged for 90 days in contact with wood chips from different species were evaluated.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods and results:</strong> For this purpose, wood chips from cherry (<em>Prunus avium</em>), acacia (<em>Robinia pseudoacacia</em>) and two oak species (<em>Quercus</em> <em>petraea</em> and <em>Quercus pyrenaica</em>) were added to a Portuguese red wine. Various global phenolic parameters of red wines were studied during the aging process (90 storage days). In addition, a sensory analysis was made after the 90-day aging period to determine the impact of the use of different wood chip species on red wine sensory profile. The results showed that during the aging period, only a few differences were detected between the wines. However, after 90 aging days, in general the wines aged in contact with cherry wood tended to have the lowest values for several phenolic parameters. For sensory parameters, the wine aged in contact with French oak chips showed significantly higher scores for several aroma descriptors, while for visual and taste descriptors no statistical significant differences were found between the wines.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion:</strong> At the concentration used (3 g wood chips/L wine), the different wood chip species studied had no clear influence on the evolution of the majority of the red wine phenolic parameters. However, from a sensory point of view, the use of different wood species induced greater differentiation, especially for aroma descriptors.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Significance and impact of the study:</strong> The outcomes of this study would be of practical interest to winemakers and regulatory institutions since they could improve the knowledge of the impact of alternative wood chip species, namely acacia and cherry, on red wine quality.</p>

An Approach to the Study of the Interactions between Ellagitannins and Oxygen during Oak Wood Aging.

During the aging of red wine in oak wood barrels, or in alternative aging systems, interactions between the compounds released from wood, the compounds of the wine, and oxygen can take place. The main objective of the present work was to study oxygen-ellagitannin interactions by monitoring their levels in three model systems, all containing the same amounts of French oak chips and differing only in the oxygen content: total absence, only the oxygen released from the chips, and air-saturated (model systems F, OW, and OS, respectively). This study has highlighted the influence of oxygen in the ellagitannins' evolution and the relevance of the oxygen trapped into the oak chips, reporting for the first time the kinetics of oxygen release to the model wine. Furthermore, the indirect contribution of oxygen to the ellagitannins' disappearance by boosting autoxidative reactions has also been pointed out. Vescalagin seems to be the ellagitannin most affected by the initial oxygen levels.

Phenolic Acids, Phenolic Aldehydes and Furanic Derivatives in Oak Chips: American vs. French Oaks

Phenolic acids (gallic, vanillic, syringic and ellagic acids), phenolic aldehydes (vanillin, syringaldehyde, coniferaldehyde and sinapaldehyde) and furanic derivatives (furfural, 5-methylfurfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural) were quantified in commercial American and French oak chips. Chips with different sizes and toast degrees were used. Compounds were extracted directly from the wood samples in order to determine possible differences among woods as well as toast degree. Likewise, the compounds were extracted from a synthetic wine solution to which the chip woods had been added. The results show that French wood chips are generally richer than the American ones. The total amount of phenolic compounds increases with toasting level, with the non-toasted chips being the poorest ones. The degree of extraction from the synthetic wine solution seems to be related to the shape of the chips, rather than to the wood type or toast degree.

Rapid Induction of Ageing Character in Brandy Products – Part II. Influence of Type of Oak

As part of a broader study that investigated techniques for the rapid induction of the needed ageing character in brandy products, the effect of oak type on quality and chemical composition of oak wood extracts and matured and unmatured potstill brandy, is reported on. Extracts, prepared from American and French oak chips supplied by a South African cooper, and from commercially obtained oak, and representing different levels of toasting, were added to 70% (v/v) unmatured pot-still brandy and stored for eight months in glass containers (Schott bottles) at room temperature, or in the case of controls, below 0°C. Matured and unmatured (control) pot-still brandy samples were analysed for wood-derived congeners by means of HPLC and GC. Although French oak initially yielded better quality products, these effects lost prominence and, after eight months maturation, yielded similar sensory quality to American oak. French oak samples had higher concentrations of wood-derived congeners (including eugenol, the furan derivatives and aromatic aldehydes). However, the American oak generally contained higher concentrations of oak lactones than their French counterparts, with higher proportions of the more sensorially potent cis-form of lactone than its trans-isomer.

Oxygen consumption by oak chips in a model wine solution; Influence of the botanical origin, toast level and ellagitannin content

The botanical origin, toast level and ellagitannin content of oak chips in a model wine solution have been studied in terms of their influence on oxygen consumption. French oak chips released significantly higher amounts of ellagitannins than American oak chips at any toast level. The release of ellagitannins by oak chips decreased as the toast level increased in the French oak but this trend was not so clear in American oak. Oxygen consumption rate was clearly related to the level of released ellagitannins. Therefore, oak chips should be chosen for their potential to release ellagitannins release should be considered, not only because they can have a direct impact on the flavor and body of the wine, but also because they can protect against oxidation.

Effects of the treatment with oak chips on color-related phenolics, volatile composition, and sensory profile of red wines: the case of Aglianico and Montepulciano

The effects of the treatment of two important Italian wines, Aglianico and Montepulciano, with French oak chips were analyzed. The study was focused on the changes of color-related compounds such as anthocyanins and tannins, and of volatile and sensory profiles. An overall characterization of the wines was also performed. With reference to the phenolic profile, the behaviors of the two wines were different due to their different initial phenolic composition. The oak-chip treatments favored the polymerization of anthocyanins and tannins, whose concentrations in the oak-treated Aglianico samples were lower than in the controls (anthocyanins, −84 %; tannins, −71 %), while in the oak-treated Montepulciano wine the decrease concerned only anthocyanins (−57 %). The concentrations of polymeric phenols increased with aging in all the samples and, after 12 months, were higher in oak-treated wines than in the controls (+43 % in Aglianico, +39 % in Montepulciano). After 12 months of aging, the volatile profile of Aglianico oak-treated wines highlighted the highest acid (+68 %), terpene (+371 %), and lactone (+60 %) concentrations, while the oak-treated Montepulciano wine showed higher acid (+15 %), alcohol (+5 %), and lactone (+50 %) concentrations than the control wine. The sensory profile of the treated wines was characterized by high scores assigned to astringency and appearance of the typical oak aromas (woody, vanilla, and spicy notes) and the attenuation of floral and fruity attributes. These changes were responsible for the increase in intensity of the tannic character in Aglianico wine and the improvement of the Montepulciano wine aroma with respect to the corresponding untreated wines.

A preliminary study about the influence of high hydrostatic pressure processing in parallel with oak chip maceration on the physicochemical and sensory properties of a young red wine

The influence of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing in parallel with oak chip maceration on the physicochemical and sensory properties of a young red wine was investigated preliminarily. Wines were treated by HHP at 250, 450 and 650MPa for up to 45min and French oak chips (5g/L) were added. HHP enhanced the extraction of phenolics from oak chips. The phenolic contents and antioxidant activity of the wine increased after HHP processing in the presence of oak chips. Meanwhile, the anthocyanin content and wine color intensity decreased in the first 5min of pressure treatment and then increased gradually. The multivariate analysis revealed that “pressure holding time” was the key factor affecting wine physicochemical characteristics during HHP processing in the presence of oak chips. Furthermore, oak chip maceration with and without HHP processing weakened the intensities of several sensory attributes and provided the wine with an artificial taste.

Volatile Compounds of Red Wines Macerated with Spanish, American, and French Oak Chips

The volatile composition of a red wine aged for 2 months with three different Spanish oak chips (Quercus pyrenaica and Quercus petraea) from different regions of Castilla y León was compared with that of wines aged with American and French chips. In general, the extraction kinetics showed that the maximum concentration of the volatile compounds extracted from wood can be reached in only 1 month. In the final wines, the levels of furanic aldehydes and eugenol were higher in the wines macerated with Spanish chips, whereas cis-whiskey-lactone, vanillin, and methyl vanillate showed higher levels in wines treated with American chips. Among the wines treated with the different Spanish chips, the differences observed in the volatile composition were more related to the geographical origin of the forest than to the botanical species. In general, the wines macerated with Spanish chips showed levels of oak-related volatile compounds that were more similar to those macerated with French chips than to those macerated with American chips.

Analysis of French and American oak chips with different toasting degrees by headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

This paper describes the optimisation of headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) conditions for the analysis of volatile compounds in oak chips used to accelerate wine aging as an alternative to traditional aging in oak barrels. The direct extraction of ground wood samples and the extraction of sample aqueous slurries using a divinylbenzene-carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane (DVB-CAR-PDMS) fibre were studied and compared. Optimal conditions for direct extraction were 110 °C and 60 min, whereas for aqueous slurries they were obtained by adding 2 mL of a 7.1 mol L −1 sodium chloride solution, at 70 °C and for 60 min. The two optimised HS-SPME approaches were compared in terms of repeatability and extraction efficiency; water addition to the sample prior to HS-SPME was selected because it yielded better repeatability (6.6% versus 8.5% relative standard deviation) and efficiency (around 1.4–4.8 times higher analyte amount extracted for most of the compounds). Finally, the method was applied in the analysis of oak chip samples from American and French oak with different degrees of toasting. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the results showed that the first principal component was correlated with the toasting degree whereas the second, which was strongly influenced by whisky lactones and eugenol, allowed us to differentiate between American and French oak chips.

Influence of Oak Chips Geographical Origin, Toast Level, Dosage and Aging Time on Volatile Compounds of Apple Cider

The effects of different geographical origin, levels of toasting, dosage and the aging time of oak chips on volatile compounds released into ciders were studied. The oak chips tested were the same size and with three different toast levels (light, medium and heavy) from French, American and Chinese oak. The oak wood chips were immersed in identical ciders. Higher alcohols, acids and esters were determined by headspace (HS)–solid phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography (GC)–mass spectrometry (MS), while oak-related aroma compounds including trans-and cis-oak lactones, guaiacol, 4-methylguaiacol, furfural, 5-methylfurfural, vanillin, eugenol and isoeugenol, were determined by liquid-liquid extraction by means of ultrasound and GC/MS selective ion monitoring (SIM). The results showed that there was little difference between the oak-related volatile compositions of ciders aged with French oak chips and those aged with American oak chips, but that there were obvious differences with Chinese oak chips. It was observed that oak chips, at medium toasting levels, released the highest concentrations of volatile components into the ciders. Most of the oak-related volatile aroma compounds extracted had an increase that depended on the oak chip dosage with the exception of guaiacol and furfural.