Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/705606
4 2 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | J u l y - A u g 2 016 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m tion. The taste of wood imparted by barrels or casks can be either a pos- itive or negative attribute. Those who object to it say the wood note covers the fruit. Some find the heat loss from wood greater than cement. Other drawbacks include and aging: clay, concrete, plastic, wood and steel. These come in all shapes and sizes, and each nuance creates and contours the resulting beverage. What's the best material to use? "It depends entirely on the type and style of wine you wish to make," says Bruce Zoecklein, emeritus enology professor at Vir- ginia Tech. Tank selection starts with the grape cultivars to be used and processing variables. Variables included fitting placements, meth- od of heat exchange, cap manage- ment, dejuicing ease, fermentation with wood, lees management, mix- ing ability, storage vs. fermenta- tion and so forth. The material from which a tank is constructed affects temperature and factors such as oxygen transfer, natural microoxy- genation and alcohol convection currents (mixing). Woods, including oak and red- wood, have been a traditional part of winemaking for centuries, used for both fermentation and matura- he language surrounding wine is replete with hyper- bole and lengthy strings of adjectives designed to com- municate its hints, nuances, char- acteristics, taste and appearance. While much of that's related to the poetry-inspiring vineyard vistas surrounding the fruit that's trans- formed into wine, relatively few effusive odes are directed at the tanks in which that alchemy occurs. Yet the tank material selected for fermenting and maturation plays just as much a role in whether the resulting wine mumbles or emerg- es in a full-tilt diva belt, like Luciano Pavarotti or Lady Gaga. A specific tank can impart a lively versus ster- ile taste or create a simple versus complex body. TYPES OF VESSELS A tank. A vat. A container. All these utilitarian terms are apt, but winemakers have an array of mate- rials at their disposal for fermenting + Determining what material to use depends on the type and style of wine you want to make. + Main choices include wood, steel, concrete, clay and plastics. + Each has pros and cons to consider. + Cost concerns can help aid in your decision. AT A GLANCE Let your choice of tank material, size and shape carry your wine toward where you need it to be. BY LINDA DAILEY PAULSON Law Estate Wines in Paso Robles, Calif., which specializes in Rhone-style blends, has 22 concrete tanks from Sonoma Cast Stone, which manu- factures custom-made, sustainably built tanks. [Photo by Ron Bez]