Oak Alternatives
In the last decade, alongside traditional barrels, oak alternatives have become an important oenological tool, offering an additional level of precision.
Thanks to significant investment in research and development, major progress has been made in both the quality of these products and the wide range of applications they now enable.
This progress is changing the way winemakers approach the relationship between oak and wine; there is now the ability to choose precisely between different products, depending on the desired effect on the wine and the elevage time available in the winery. Each solution offers a different impact, depending on the desired oenological aim.
In our view, the real value of oak alternatives lies not only in their accessibility or time efficiency, but mainly in the fact that they give control back to the winemaker, allowing them to shape the wine according to the time and tools available to them.
Our Brands
Bright Up works with a select group of producers of oak alternatives- Seguin Moreau, Doreau, Boisé by Vivelys, and Nobile by Laffort. Each known for their quality, and strong investment in research and development. These producers have developed oak alternatives that deliver precise, repeatable results across different winemaking conditions.
Oak Alternative types
Oak chips, barrel inserts, tank staves, blocks, and specific special patents are all alternatives to traditional oak ageing today, also known as "Oenological wood". These alternatives are produced for different oenological results, depending on the time and capacity each winery has. For shorter ageing times, with a strong emphasize on aromatic expression, oak chips would be in the best of use. They can add "oak" aromas ad flavours and also mask unwanted organoleptic characteristics such as pyrazine notes, and bitterness. Their use is simple and usually for the length of around 1-2 months. Oak staves are produced in different lengths and thicknesses. Their impact, would be the closest to oak barrels, allowing oak aromas, flavours, tannins and even in times some micro-oxygenation to the wine over a period of between 4-10 months, depending size and thickness. Barrel inserts would be used as an oak supplement for old barrels. They would give a boost of delicate oak influence, structure and aromatics.
The choice between the different options should be taken in consideration of how much ageing time each winemaker has, and for the different oenological outcome.