ELIGE MADERA Did You Ever Imagine that the Secret Ingredient of Wine Could Be Wood? Well, it’s not exactly another ingredient, but it’s an essential element in some of the characteristics and notes of the wine being tasted. Well, it’s not exactly another ingredient, but it’s an essential element in some of the characteristics and notes of the wine being tasted. Wine hasn’t always been stored in barrels; it wasn’t until the adoption of maritime transport, centuries ago, that the use of barrels became popular. When the wine was stored in ships, travel time and possible changes cause by weather weren’t considered, and it was often a very different wine by the time it arrived at its destination. People realized that the wine absorbed the characteristics of the wood that contained it. Today, the barrels are usually made of oak wood, or, more commonly in Chile, chestnut or larch. Whatever the case, each type of wood contributes qualities that enrich the resulting wine and it’s not random. The winemakers in charge, in accordance with their vision, carefully select the type of barrel required by each variety. Among the effects of wood barrels in wine production, there are three that are the most noticeable: 1. Color Over time, wood releases tannins from its bark. These react with the liquid and increase its pigmentation, most noticeably in red wines. 2. Aroma Among the aromas detected in the wine, we can sense fruit, vanilla, honey or coffee, depending on the treatment of each barrel’s wood. 3. Taste Wooden barrels contribute to the micro-oxygenation of the wine, regulating its flavor and amount of alcohol, as well as providing sweetness, depending on the type of wood.