Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/111102
Acacia Barrels Offer Alternatives to Oak Wineries go beyond oak to enhance structure and mouthfeel BY TED RIEGER, SENIOR FEATURE EDITOR lthough oak is the dominant wood used for wine barrels and cooperage, other types of wood have been coopered and used as vessels throughout winemaking history, including cherry, mulberry, ash, pine, redwood, chestnut and acacia. Some woods are still used in specific regions for particular wines, such as cherry cooperage used in ripasso-style wines of Valpolicella in Italy, and chestnut "pipes" for Porto wines in Portugal. French acacia has been used for many years for white wine production in France, Italy and Spain. Acacia barrels have been used in French appellations such as Bordeaux, Sauternes, Loire Valley and Gaillac, commonly with sweet white varieties such as petit manseng, muscadelle and mauzac, 58 V I N E YARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT and with more common Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rhone white varieties. More recently, U.S. wineries have experimented with French acacia. While some have had mixed results, others now use it as a regular component in blending white wines, particularly sauvignon blanc, pinot blanc, viognier, chardonnay and pinot gris/grigio. Several French coopers have introduced and promoted acacia barrels for the U.S. market. FRENCH ACACIA French acacia, Robinia pseudoacacia, commonly known as black locust, and sometimes false acacia, is actually native to the southeastern United States. It has spread through much of North America and is considered an invasive species in | Mar - Apr 2013 AT A GLANCE + French acacia barrels are being used in the United States to enhance fruit and aromatic qualities of white wines. + French acacia is actually black locust, and has been used as cooperage for sweet and white wines in France, Italy and Spain for many years. + Aging wine in acacia barrels can provide structure and mouthfeel in wines without the tannin, vanilla and toasty flavors associated with oak. + Acacia barrels can dehy- drate faster than oak, requiring humidification and rehydration during storage. w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m