Geek研究: 為什么我們要用木質(zhì)酒桶發(fā)酵酒？

From the mailbag, a listener asks: Why do we age wine in wooden barrels? Good question! These days, aging wine inside big wooden barrels seems pretty inefficient, if not downright old-fashioned! But winemakers have good reasons to prefer oak barrels over cheaper alternatives! When newly-made wine is put into barrels, it isn't finished yet. Most wine is left in barrels to age for six to 18 months, depending on the type of wine. During that time, the wine undergoes various chemical changes that make it taste better. But most of these chemical changes can't happen without exposure to air–and that's why winemakers prefer wooden barrels. Stainless steel or plastic containers would cost less and last longer, but they're airtight. They're fine for storing wine, but the wine doesn't age properly in an airtight container–and it definitely doesn't taste the same! Most wine barrels are made of oak. That's because oak is dense wood with a very “tight” grain. It’s a great compromise – oak wine barrels are tight, but not completely airtight, so wine can age properly without leaking out.