Vinification in wooden barrels

Wine ageing in wooden barrels - a complex and valuable step on the way to unique wines. At Dreissigacker, ageing in wooden barrels gives our wines more depth and structure. Several factors influence the maturation of the wine in the wooden barrel. Wood is a natural material and does not hermetically seal. This leads to two processes. A so-called air entrainment, a micro-oxidation, occurs. During this process, small amounts of oxygen pass through the wood into the wine. In addition, smallest amounts of the contents continuously evaporate through the wood.

In addition to air entry and evaporation, the wood itself also influences the taste of the wine. Over time, the wood gives off a typical fine wood flavour and toasty aromas to the wine. The intensity of the wooden and toasted notes in the wine depends on how long the wine is stored in the wooden barrel, the intensity of the barrel's roasting, the size of the barrel itself and whether it is a first or a subsequent filling.

The longer the wine is left to mature in the wooden barrel, the more wood and toasted aromas combine with the wine. The roasted aromas develop because the barrels are burnt from the inside to bend them - if the winemaker wishes, the burning out or firing out can be intensified. This increases the intensity of the roasted aromas in the wine. The process of burning out is called "toasting". A fine roasted aroma is then transferred to the wine through the flamed insides.

The size of the barrel also influences the intensity of the aroma. The larger the barrel, the less wine gets in direct contact with the surface of the wood. Therefore, the exchange of aromas takes longer or is milder compared to ageing wine in a smaller wooden barrel. When a wooden barrel is filled with wine for the first time, the exchange between wood and wine is most intensive. With a second or third filling the aromas are much more milder.

Through ageing in wooden barrels in combination with ageing in stainless steel tanks, our Dreissigacker wines achieve complexity and originality. Especially with the Riesling from the wooden barrel, we take the sometimes angular and edgy wine and give it the balance it needs through the wooden and roasted aroma as an equal counterpart.

Tonneau Cellar

The Dreissigacker Tonneau cellar is dominantly used for our Burgundy varieties: Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. White wine from the wooden barrel inspires with its special structure. We use 500-litre tonneau barrels with toasted staves - the longitudinal wood of a barrel. The ageing of white wine in wooden barrels, in this case in tonneau barrels, has a long tradition and is most authentic. We also notice that the wood is good for the wines and therefore age not only white, but also red wine in wooden barrels. Especially with more complex white wines, the wood and roasted aroma effectively enlivens the taste of the wine. Vinification in wooden barrels offers an additional opportunity to produce unique and innovative white wines. At Dreissigacker, we precisely match the wines to the intensity of the wood and roasted aromas they need and the maximum amount. This procedure is based on our experience, patience and a feel for new things.

Barrique Cellar

The Dreissigacker barrique cellar - this is where our red wines from the wooden barrel mature. The barrique barrels are relatively small oak barrels, holding each 225 litres. We use the barrique barrels to age our Pinot Noir. The ageing of red wine in barrique barrels is characterised by a particularly small ratio between wine and wood. This means that the wine and the wooden barrel can interact particularly beautifully. Our red wines are allowed to rest here for at least two years, in some cases even three or four, depending on how the wood and roasted aroma develops in the red wine. Pinot Noir in particular needs a lot of time to mature, and it gets this time, because it pays off in terms of taste.

Stainless steel Cellar

If you compare the stainless steel cellar with the barrique cellar, for example, the typical wine cellar feeling is missing at first glance. However, ageing in stainless steel tanks allows the winemaker to work in a particularly accurate and detailed way. Wine ageing in wooden barrels as well as in stainless steel tanks shines with special characteristics. Which storage method you choose depends on what you intend to do with the wine. In stainless steel tanks, the wine matures without external influences and thus develops its own aroma. The flavour characteristics of the wine can only come from the wine and thus from the grapes themselves. The stainless steel tank ensures a very precise maturation. In the stainless steel tank, the wines develop a brilliant aroma during maturation. Stainless steel tanks are particularly suitable for keeping the freshness of the wines in warm years. In addition, the temperature of the tanks can be adjusted, which brings even more precision during the maturation of the wine. This way, the winemaker is always in control of the ripening process and can focus completely on the wine. At Dreissigacker, we mainly work with smaller tanks, as we choose to vinify the wines on a very small scale and bring out individual fine nuances.