Oaking a finished wine

Personally, I'd use oak cubes rather than oak chips during aging. My favorite is the Stavin cubes (they're fire toasted, and I find their imparted flavor to be the closest approximation to oak barrel aging of all the barrel alternatives I've tried.

I find the chips impart a harsher flavor. I would only use oak chips during fermentation.

Gene

I agree with Gene. I prefer stavin.

If you decide a wine needs oak, it is never too late. I have added oak 2 years after a wine cleared. It will just have to sit a little longer to incorporate the new flavors.

Ray

How long? Is there an ideal time to include oak cubes to the process?

Cheers, Scott

Most of the flavor is in there within a week at most. I leave them in for months at a time with no issues. The best time is probably preferment but there is no bad time either. If they sink you are not getting much more out of them. If a wine needs oak you can do it anytime. I usually over-oak a little because I rarely drink reds that haven't been bottled for a few years unless I am testing them. The oak flavor integrates more with the wine in time so it sort of fades back a little in my experience.

I like oak, I put more than most do in. I do think Sta Vin beans (cubes) are superior to chips but don't think chips are grossly inferior; if the chips are reasonably large (as in not sawdust or stringy) and toasted I feel they do well on an average wine too.

Joe

Pity I didn't get this sooner. I was just in Wichita and could've given you some Stavin cubes.

I think it's 3oz for 5 gallons, and you just let it sit there. Minimum contact time is 3 months, if memory serves. Check out their website- Stavin.com

If you're REALLY adventurous, you can see if there's a company near you that stocks these guys's products:

They offer sample kits- 3 staves, BUNCH of different oak types. Very interesting.

Jason