“Ah oak!” says the wine professional as she sips. Is she complimenting or criticising the wine? It could be either.

At its worst, oak can be used to add flavour to an otherwise insipid wine. Oak chippings in a sack are dipped into the maturing wine like a teabag. The vanilla-like flavour of the oak beefs up the wine which now tastes of something: but it’s oak not grapes. Continue reading Is Oak OK? →