橡木桶在不銹鋼桶還未出現(xiàn)前,幾乎所有葡萄酒都在橡木桶中陳年與儲存,其作為儲酒容器的歷史十分悠久。種類、桶型和烘烤程度是區(qū)分不同橡木桶的基本要素,不同要素也關(guān)乎到橡木桶對葡萄酒的影響。橡木桶所選取的常用、流行的橡木樹種主要為歐洲地區(qū)的盧浮橡、夏橡以及美洲白櫟。橡木桶大好處是能為葡萄酒提供獨有的橡木桶風(fēng)味,如橡木、咖啡、煙草、香草和巧克力等。
Before the emergence of stainless steel barrels, almost all wines were aged and stored in oak barrels, and their history as wine storage containers is very long. The type, barrel type, and degree of baking are the basic elements that distinguish different oak barrels, and different elements also affect the impact of oak barrels on wine. The commonly used and popular oak tree species selected for oak barrels are mainly Louvre oak, summer oak, and American white oak from Europe. The great advantage of oak barrels is that they can provide unique oak barrel flavors for wine, such as oak, coffee, tobacco, vanilla, and chocolate.
橡木桶帶來的這些風(fēng)味與葡萄原有的果香、陳年香氣等相互交織融合,為大多葡萄酒愛好者所青睞。盡管如今有不少葡萄酒廠在釀酒時選擇的是不銹鋼桶,但為迎合消費者口味,一些酒廠會在不銹鋼桶發(fā)酵的葡萄酒中加入橡木條、橡木塊甚橡木粉,以期使葡萄酒中保有橡木桶風(fēng)味。此外,因橡木桶是由一定數(shù)量的橡木桶板箍綁并烘烤制成,板塊之間難免存有細小間隙,為葡萄酒進行適當(dāng)“微氧化”提供了條件,有利葡萄酒自然熟成,在微氧化過程中葡萄酒的酚類物質(zhì)與橡木桶香氣發(fā)生反應(yīng),終成酒的香氣也更馥郁。
The flavors brought by oak barrels are intertwined and integrated with the original fruity and aged aromas of grapes, which are favored by most wine enthusiasts. Although many wineries nowadays choose stainless steel barrels when making wine, in order to cater to consumer tastes, some wineries will add oak bars, oak blocks, or even oak powder to the wine fermented in stainless steel barrels, in order to maintain the oak barrel flavor in the wine. In addition, because oak barrels are made by binding and baking a certain number of oak barrel boards, there are inevitably small gaps between the boards, providing conditions for appropriate "micro oxidation" of wine, which is beneficial for the natural maturation of wine. During the micro oxidation process, the phenolic substances of wine react with the aroma of the oak barrel, resulting in a more fragrant aroma of the final wine.
不銹鋼桶是一種惰性容器,由不銹鋼材質(zhì)鑄造而成,密封性好,有較強耐腐性。不銹鋼桶的使用越來越流行主要歸因其耐用性和可持續(xù)性。橡木桶的使用壽命很短,一般三到五年,隨著使用次數(shù)增多,橡木桶會漸漸失去其原有的橡木香氣,葡萄酒的酸性也會漸漸侵蝕橡木桶。相比不銹鋼桶的使用壽命就長得多了。不銹鋼桶的容積一般較大,在釀造相同容量葡萄酒的情況下,不銹鋼桶比橡木桶更能節(jié)省購置成本,這也是部分酒廠選擇不銹鋼桶釀造葡萄酒的原因之一。同時相比橡木桶為葡萄酒帶來橡木風(fēng)味的特點,有的釀酒師認為,不銹鋼桶中性無味,能很好保有釀酒葡萄原有的個性和特色風(fēng)味,所釀造出來的葡萄酒更為純粹自然。
Stainless steel bucket is an inert container made of stainless steel material cast, with good sealing and strong corrosion resistance. The increasing popularity of stainless steel barrels is mainly attributed to their durability and sustainability. The service life of oak barrels is very short, usually three to five years. As the number of uses increases, oak barrels will gradually lose their original oak aroma, and the acidity of wine will gradually erode the oak barrels. Compared to stainless steel barrels, the service life is much longer. Stainless steel barrels generally have a larger volume. When brewing wine of the same capacity, stainless steel barrels can save more purchase costs than oak barrels. This is also one of the reasons why some wineries choose stainless steel barrels for wine brewing. At the same time, compared to the oak flavor that oak barrels bring to wine, some winemakers believe that stainless steel barrels are neutral and odorless, which can well retain the original personality and unique flavor of wine grapes, and the wine produced is more pure and natural.
盡管橡木桶的細小間隙能為陳放其中的葡萄酒提供微氧化的環(huán)境,但其氧化的速度相對不可控,這對釀酒師來說是一大挑戰(zhàn)。擁有良好密封性的不銹鋼桶則不同,其不透氣性使釀酒師能把握葡萄酒的氧化速度,根據(jù)葡萄酒的試飲口感進行適度氧化,可較精確監(jiān)控葡萄酒的品質(zhì)。再者不銹鋼桶光滑的觸面便于清洗,能減少前一次釀酒殘余物質(zhì)的影響,這也是不銹鋼桶可持續(xù)使用的原因之一。
Although the small gaps in oak barrels can provide a slightly oxidizing environment for the aged wine, the rate of oxidation is relatively uncontrollable, which is a major challenge for winemakers. A stainless steel barrel with good sealing is different. Its non breathability allows winemakers to grasp the oxidation rate of wine and conduct moderate oxidation based on the taste of the wine, which can accurately monitor the quality of the wine. Furthermore, the smooth contact surface of the stainless steel barrel is easy to clean, which can reduce the impact of residual substances from the previous brewing process, which is also one of the reasons for the sustainable use of stainless steel barrels.
值得一提的是,對于橡木桶和不銹鋼桶二者的比較,并無好壞、優(yōu)劣之爭,也無對錯、正統(tǒng)與野派之別,在釀造葡萄酒的工藝上選擇橡木桶或不銹鋼桶,亦或是文中未提及的混凝土發(fā)酵罐等容器,均是酒莊出于對葡萄酒預(yù)期品質(zhì)的考量之選。其實不管是用什么材料,造出來的葡萄酒都有獨特的風(fēng)味
It is worth mentioning that there is no good or bad, good or bad, or right or wrong, orthodox or wild style comparison between oak barrels and stainless steel barrels. Choosing oak barrels or stainless steel barrels, or containers such as concrete fermentation tanks that are not mentioned in the article, in the process of wine making, are all choices made by the winery based on the expected quality of the wine. Actually, no matter what materials are used, the wine produced has a unique flavor
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