Oak Treatment

The use of oak barrels for the aging of wine on a home winemaking scale is not recommended due to the costs and logistics of using oak barrels with small volumes of wine.  Oak extractives can be added to wine through the use of oak chips.  A suggested rate for chip addition is 4 to 7 grams per gallon.  The chips should be left in the wine for 1 to 3 weeks.  After the removal of the chips by racking, bottling should be delayed for three to four weeks to allow for the precipitation of ellagic acid.  Ellagic acid is extracted from the oak and is unstable in wine.

Oak treatment can be used for red wines, although it is not usually recommended for Concord.  Seyval blanc, a white wine, may be a candidate for oak treatment.