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Oak

Production
Oak is used in the production of many wines to ferment the wines or age them. Oak can add flavours and round off a wine. It is only suitable for some grape varieties as it can be over powering in other. Some Italian wines have laws about minimum period in Oak. Oak barrels can come in a number of sizes, with the smaller and newer the barrel the more flavour is imparted. European Oak imparts a Cedar wood flavour, whereas American Oak can impart Vanilla and coconut flavours with richer tannins. In the new world they can impart these flavours into using Oak chips or staves. These are outlawed in many EU countries.
European: Quercus robur
American: Quercus alba