Development of the composition of oak wood during seasoning and its impact on wine

Mestrado Vinifera Euromaster - Instituto Superior de Agronomia - UL

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the natural seasoning of oak wood on the chemical composition of the oak and the following potential impact it has on the wine. In this study two experimental plans were carried out. The first with objective to evaluate the impact of the time of seasoning on the chemical composition of the wood and the second was carried out to study the effect of the time of seasoning on the sensory aspects of the wine. A significant difference between the composition of fresh wood and seasoned wood was generally observed, however no significant difference was observed due to the time of seasoning after 18 months. Sensory analysis in form of triangular tests showed the same trend, leading to the questioning of the benefits of prolonged seasoning of oak wood