General Chardonnay/Oak Question

[ajhughes]

All,

I am looking to start a new batch of wine and have started looking at Chardonnay kits. I generally prefer unoaked Chardonnays, but it seems in general that most kit Chardonnays come with Oak.

I have a general question... Is it generally safe to omit the oak when making a kit? Is the decision of the manufacturer to include oak based on the grapes, and means the kit may not make a good unoaked Chardonnay? or is it really just a matter of preference? some prefer oak and others do not?

Interested in hearing your experience and thoughts...

 

[Tom]

If you look up the profile you will see they are oaked. Remember its your tastes that count. I would not enter in a competition though.

 

[winemaker_3352]

I agree - it should be based on your taste.

However - you can add in the oak cubes and just monitor it - pull it out when it has enough.

I like a good chardonnay - but i don't like over oaked chardonnays.

 

[cpfan]

There are a lot of people that like their Chardonnays unoaked. It was a BIG trend in commercial wineries 2 or 3 years ago to have at least one unoaked Chardonnay in their line. At one winery, I heard a customer say that they didn't drink white wine because they didn't like the oak taste in it. the staff member was having a difficult time explaining to her that many whites were not oaked.

There is no problem omitting the oak from one of the kits. When I ran a Ferment on Premises, it was a common request from customers.

There are some unoaked Chardonnay kits out there, but not many. For example, Winexpert's Selection Estate Sonoma Dry Creek Valley Chardonnay , and Vineco's Cheeky Monkey Australian Chardonnay. Both should be readily available in Toronto.

Steve

 

[BobF]

google 'naked chardonnay'

 

[ibglowin]

The Cellar Craft Showcase Yakima Valley Chardonnay comes with Acacia beans which do not add the vanilla profile of oak. Supposed to just make the wine more "crisp". I have a batch bottled but have not tried even a split yet as it needs a few more months of bottle age before I even think about opening one. Tasted pretty good at bottling time. Definitely no vanilla.

 

[ajhughes]

Thanks for the responses. I should probably try making a kit with oak and tasting periodically as the oak does it's thing. I think it might be interesting to better understand if it's a quantity thing or simply the presence that I'm not fond of... off to make more wine in the name of education ...or something like that

Thanks for the kit suggestions. I will definitely be giving them a try in the near future.

 

[cpfan]

Thanks for the responses. I should probably try making a kit with oak and tasting periodically as the oak does it's thing. I think it might be interesting to better understand if it's a quantity thing or simply the presence that I'm not fond of... off to make more wine in the name of education ...or something like that

Thanks for the kit suggestions. I will definitely be giving them a try in the near future.

In most kits, all the oak is added to the primary. Not the best time in the wine's cycle to be test tasting. The must/wine is going thru so many changes at that phase. You could get some cubes (or beans) add add to the carboy. That would be a better time to be test tasting.

Steve