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In this episode of The Wine Lab, Andreea takes you inside one of winemaking’s most iconic tools — the oak barrel. From Celtic craftsmanship to modern coopering, we’ll explore how fire, oxygen, and time turn simple wood into a vessel of transformation.

Discover why oak became the gold standard, what happens during toasting, and how micro-oxygenation softens tannins and stabilizes color. Learn about the differences between French, American, and Hungarian oak, the chemistry behind aging, and even the future of sustainable cooperage — including experimental ideas like biochar barrels and hybrid woods.

It’s the story of the barrel as both instrument and ingredient — a breathing partner that connects forest, fire, and fermentation in one seamless conversation.

Glossary of Key Terms

Barrique – The standard Bordeaux-style oak barrel, holding about 225 liters of wine. Its small size increases oak influence and oxygen exposure.

Toasting – The process of heating the inside of a barrel with fire to bend the staves and develop flavor compounds like vanillin, furfural, and spice phenols.

Ellagitannins – Polyphenolic compounds in oak wood that stabilize color and influence mouthfeel during aging; they also act as antioxidants.

Micro-oxygenation – The slow diffusion of oxygen through the wood, which polymerizes tannins, softens structure, and develops complexity in wine.

Foudres – Very large wooden vats (1,000–20,000 L) used for aging; they allow oxidative benefits of wood with minimal oak flavor influence.

Hemicellulose and Lignin – Structural components of wood that decompose under heat to form aromatic compounds like vanilla, caramel, and smoke notes.

Angel’s Share – The portion of wine (water and alcohol) that evaporates through the barrel over time, concentrating flavor and altering balance.

Acetaldehyde – A compound formed by mild oxidation of ethanol; in small amounts, it adds brightness and nuttiness, but in excess it can smell bruised or sherried.

Biochar – A carbon-rich material produced by pyrolysis of biomass in low oxygen; being explored in cooperage as a sustainable, oxygen-modulating material.

Hybrid Barrel – A barrel made from different woods (e.g., oak staves with acacia or cherry heads) to achieve specific flavor or structural goals.

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In this episode of The Wine Lab, we explore the science and story of tannins: what they are, where they come from, and why some wines feel silky while others grip your gums.

From the ancient craft of leather tanning to modern barrel aging, we trace how these polyphenolic compounds shape wine’s structure, color, and longevity. We’ll look at how fermentation temperature, pH, and rising alcohol shift what gets extracted from skins and seeds — and how acidity changes the way tannins feel on your palate.

You’ll also learn why black tea gives you the same dry feeling as a young Cabernet, that tannins aren’t probably the cause of wine headaches, and why some white wines have more tannin character than you might think.

So pour a glass, and let’s explore the chemistry of feeling wine.

Astringency – The tactile, drying sensation in the mouth caused by tannins binding to salivary proteins, reducing lubrication. It’s a feeling, not a flavor.

Tannins – Polyphenolic compounds found in grape skins, seeds, stems, and oak. They contribute structure, color stability, and aging potential to wine.

Condensed tannins (Proanthocyanidins) – Tannins naturally present in grapes; built from flavan-3-ols. They shape a wine’s body and mouthfeel.

Hydrolyzable tannins – Tannins derived from oak barrels, composed of gallic or ellagic acid units. They provide antioxidant capacity and subtle structure during aging.

Anthocyanins – Water-soluble pigments in grape skins that give red and purple wines their color. They stabilize when bonded to tannins.

Maceration – The period during fermentation when grape skins and seeds are in contact with the juice, allowing extraction of color, flavor, and tannins.

pH / Acidity – A measure of wine’s acid level. Lower pH (higher acidity) makes tannins feel firmer; higher pH makes them feel softer.

Polymerization – The process where small tannin molecules link into longer chains over time, softening texture and reducing astringency.

Ethanol – The alcohol formed during fermentation. It changes the solubility of phenolics, enhancing seed-tannin extraction but slowing pigment release.

Tribology – The study of friction and lubrication. Used in wine sensory research to explain how tannins affect mouthfeel.

Ellagitannins – Oak-derived tannins that help stabilize color and protect wine from oxidation during barrel aging.

Extended maceration – A winemaking technique where wine remains on skins after fermentation to extract additional tannins and complexity.

Aging – The slow chemical evolution of wine after fermentation. Tannins polymerize and precipitate, softening texture over time.

Bitterness – A taste detected by receptors on the tongue, distinct from astringency (a physical sensation).

Color stability – The persistence of wine color over time, maintained by reactions between tannins and anthocyanins that form more stable pigments.

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What do Port, Sherry, Madeira, Marsala, and Vermouth all have in common? They’re wines with an extra ingredient — spirit. In this episode of The Wine Lab, Dr. Andreea Botezatu explores how fortification began as a practical solution for preserving wine on long sea voyages and evolved into a craft that shaped trade, taste, and culture.

From Shakespeare’s Falstaff praising “sack” to George Washington’s love for Madeira, we’ll travel through history and a little chemistry to understand what makes fortified wines so enduring. You’ll learn about their different origins, what spirits are used (always grape-derived!), how to serve them, and the best ways to enjoy them — from chilled Fino with tapas to Vintage Port and Stilton by the fire.

A story of science, adaptation, and taste — all in one small pour.

Glossary

Aguardente vínica

A neutral grape brandy used to fortify Port and other Portuguese wines. It typically sits around 77% ABV and is added mid-fermentation to stop the process and preserve natural sweetness.
🔗 Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto (IVDP)

Amontillado

A style of Sherry that starts aging biologically under flor (like a Fino), then continues oxidatively after the flor dies off, creating nutty, caramelized aromas.
🔗 Sherry Wines – Amontillado Overview (Consejo Regulador)

Copita

A small, tulip-shaped glass traditionally used for serving Sherry. Today, the Sherry Council recommends small white-wine glasses instead, to allow greater aromatic expression.
🔗 Sherry Wines – How to Serve Sherry

Flor

A layer of yeast that forms naturally on the surface of Fino and Manzanilla Sherries, protecting the wine from oxidation and producing unique acetaldehyde-driven aromas (almond, green apple, saline).
🔗 Sherry Wines – The Role of Flor

Fino

The driest style of Sherry, aged entirely under flor. Fresh, crisp, and delicate, often served chilled with tapas or fried foods.
🔗 Sherry Wines – Fino

Madeira

A fortified wine from the Portuguese island of Madeira, famous for its oxidative and heat-influenced production process (estufagem). Styles range from dry (Sercial) to rich (Malmsey).
🔗 Instituto do Vinho, do Bordado e do Artesanato da Madeira (IVBAM)

Marsala

A fortified wine produced around the city of Marsala in western Sicily, Italy. Often made with local varieties like Grillo and Catarratto, and sometimes enriched with cooked grape must (mosto cotto).
🔗 Consorzio di Tutela del Vino Marsala DOC

Oloroso

A Sherry style aged entirely by oxidation, resulting in a full-bodied, nutty, and often semi-sweet wine.
🔗 Sherry Wines – Oloroso

Port

A fortified wine from Portugal’s Douro Valley, produced in various styles (Ruby, Tawny, Vintage). Fermentation is stopped early by adding grape spirit, retaining residual sugar.

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Everyone knows the story of Dom Pérignon — the monk who invented Champagne and declared he was “tasting the stars.” But history tells a very different tale. In this episode of The Wine Lab, we uncover the truth behind one of wine’s most enduring myths.

Dom Pérignon didn’t create sparkling wine at all! In fact, he spent much of his life trying to eliminate bubbles from the Abbey of Hautvillers’ wines. Yet his innovations in grape selection, blending, and cellar practices laid the foundation for the Champagne style we know today. Along the way, we’ll explore how monks in southern France were making Blanquette de Limoux as early as 1531, how English scientists and glassmakers contributed critical tools, and how Champagne finally transformed its “fault” into a feature during the 18th century.

It’s a story of climate, innovation, and collaboration across regions and centuries — and of how a myth, repeated often enough, can outshine the real history. The truth, though, is just as fascinating: a centuries-long journey that turned accidental fizz into the world’s most iconic wine of celebration.

Blanquette de Limoux
A sparkling wine from southern France, first recorded in 1531 at the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire; made by the méthode ancestrale and often cited as the oldest sparkling wine still in production.

• Reference: Limoux wine (overview; cites Oxford Companion to Wine): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limoux_wine
  
  
• Reference (local/official tourism): https://en.limouxin-tourisme.com/discover/culture-history-and-legend/sites-poles-of-the-cathar-country/abbey-of-saint-hilaire/
  
  
• Scholarly background (Master’s thesis, full PDF): https://www.tesisenred.net/bitstream/handle/10803/691833/TESI%20Arnau%20Just%20Borr%C3%A0s.pdf
  
  

Méthode ancestrale
An older sparkling method where fermentation finishes in the bottle, yielding natural sweetness and softer effervescence—explicitly recognized in the Limoux AOC specifications.

• INAO overview (recent factsheet): https://www.inao.gouv.fr/node/2916/printable/pdf
  
  

Secondary fermentation (Champagne method)
The in-bottle fermentation that creates pressure and dissolved CO₂.

Christopher Merret
In 1662, Merret presented Some Observations concerning the Ordering of Wines to the Royal Society, describing the deliberate addition of sugar to provoke a secondary fermentation—key historical evidence for controlled sparkling production.

• Royal Society “Making Science” manuscript page: https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/rbo_2ii_14/some-observations-concerning-the-ordering-of-wynes-wines-presented-to-the-royall-society-by-christopher-merrett
  
  
• Early English Books Online (full text): https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A32715.0001.001/1%3A7
  
  Both are primary/archival sources for Merr

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In the late 1800s, an almost invisible insect began destroying Europe’s vineyards. This episode of The Wine Lab takes you inside the phylloxera crisis — from the first mysterious vine deaths in France to the desperate experiments, scientific breakthroughs, and global collaboration that saved wine from near extinction. Along the way, we meet the heroes of the story, including Texan horticulturist T.V. Munson, whose work with American rootstocks helped rescue French viticulture. Discover how this tiny pest reshaped winemaking traditions, why grafted vines are now the global standard, and why phylloxera is still with us today.

Glossary

Phylloxera – The root-feeding insect that caused the 19th-century wine crisis.

• Current scientific name: Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch, 1855)
• Historical name: Phylloxera vastatrix (“devastating phylloxera”), the term used during the crisis and still found in many older accounts.

Vitis vinifera – The European grape species from which most classic wine varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay, etc.) are derived.

Rootstock – The lower portion of a grafted vine, made from a resistant American grape species or hybrid, providing roots and protection from phylloxera and soil stresses.

Scion – The upper portion of a grafted vine, which grows the shoots, leaves, and grape clusters. Determines the grape variety and wine style.

Cambium – The thin layer of actively dividing cells just under the bark of a plant. When the cambium layers of scion and rootstock align during grafting, they fuse and allow nutrient and water flow.

Grafting – The horticultural technique of joining a scion to a rootstock so they grow as one plant. Grafting European Vitis vinifera onto American rootstocks is the standard global solution to phylloxera.

Hybrid grape – A vine bred by crossing Vitis vinifera with American grape species to combine resistance and adaptability. Early hybrids were criticized for producing wines with unfamiliar “foxy” aromas but are experiencing renewed interest in modern viticulture.

Ungrafted vine – A vine growing on its own roots, without grafting. Rare today except in sandy soils or in phylloxera-free regions such as much of Chile and the Canary Islands.

Rioja Boom – The surge in Spanish wine production and modernization of Rioja in the late 19th century, driven by French wine merchants escaping phylloxera devastation in France.

Chevalier du Mérite Agricole – A French agricultural honor awarded to T.V. Munson in 1888 for his contributions in selecting American rootstocks that saved European vineyards.

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Cork is everywhere in the world of wine, from the quiet of a cellar to the noise of a celebration. But how did this small stopper come to influence the way wines age, the rituals of opening a bottle, and even the way we think about quality? In this episode of The Wine Lab, we explore the science, the history, and the culture wrapped up in every cork, and ponder why it remains central to wine today.

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Is wine really “full of sugar”? What about those “zero sugar” labels, or the idea that wine is keto-friendly? In this episode of The Wine Lab, Andreea breaks down what you need to know about sugar in wine — from grapes on the vine to yeast in the tank, from chaptalization in Burgundy to back-sweetening in Riesling, and from Champagne dosage to carbs and calories. Along the way, we’ll uncover what’s legal, what’s marketing, and what really ends up in your glass.

Glossary

• Glucose & Fructose – The natural grape sugars fermented by yeast into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
• Residual Sugar (RS) – Natural grape sugar left in wine after fermentation is stopped or incomplete. The main source of carbohydrates in wine.
• Chaptalization – Adding sugar before fermentation to increase alcohol, not sweetness. Legal in many cooler regions (e.g., Burgundy, Germany), illegal in warmer regions (e.g., California, Italy, Spain).
• Back-sweetening – Adding grape juice, concentrate, or in some U.S. states, sugar after fermentation to increase sweetness. EU law restricts this to grape-derived products only.
• Süssreserve – A German method of back-sweetening where unfermented grape juice is reserved and blended into the wine after fermentation.
• Dosage – In sparkling wines, a small addition of sugar solution before corking that sets the final sweetness level (e.g., Brut Nature, Brut, Demi-Sec).
• Fortification – Adding a spirit such as brandy to stop fermentation, leaving natural grape sugar in the wine (e.g., Port, Madeira).
• Dry Wine – A wine where nearly all sugars have been fermented away, leaving little or no residual sugar.
• Sweet Wine – A wine with sugar remaining in the finished product, either naturally or through winemaking choices.
• Keto-friendly Wines – Typically dry wines with 1–3 g of carbs per 5 oz glass, low enough to fit into a ketogenic diet.

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Wine shimmers across the history of art: painted on Egyptian tomb walls, poured into Greek amphorae, celebrated in Roman mosaics, lifted in Renaissance chalices, and glowing in Impressionist picnics. In this episode of The Wine Lab, we follow its journey through image, poetry, and song, tracing how wine has carried sacred meanings, earthly joys, and artistic inspiration across millennia—ending with Pablo Neruda’s luminous Ode to Wine.

Amphora
A tall, two-handled clay vessel used in ancient Greece and Rome to store and transport wine. Often decorated with painted scenes.

Dionysus / Bacchus
The Greek (Dionysus) and Roman (Bacchus) gods of wine, fertility, and festivity. Frequently depicted with vines, ivy crowns, satyrs, and panthers.

Symposium
A Greek banquet or drinking party where men gathered to drink wine, discuss philosophy, and enjoy poetry, music, and games.

Kottabos
A popular drinking game played at Greek symposia, where participants flung the dregs of their wine at a target, often while reclining.

Maenads
Female followers of Dionysus in Greek mythology, often shown in ecstatic dances, symbolizing the wild, frenzied side of wine and ritual.

Carmina Burana
A medieval collection of Latin songs and poems (12th–13th century) written by wandering students and clergy. Includes both religious hymns and bawdy drinking songs. Later set to music by composer Carl Orff.

In Taberna Quando Sumus
One of the most famous drinking songs from Carmina Burana, describing the chaos and revelry inside a tavern.

Cistercians and Benedictines
Catholic monastic orders in medieval Europe. They preserved viticulture knowledge and carefully cultivated vineyards, especially in Burgundy, often recording early observations of terroir.

Terroir
A French term describing the unique combination of soil, climate, and geography that shapes the character of a wine. First systematically studied by monastic orders in the Middle Ages.

Mission Grape
The first European grape variety planted in the Americas by Spanish missionaries, used for sacramental wine in Mexico, Chile, and later California.

Counter-Reformation
A movement within the Catholic Church (16th–17th centuries) responding to Protestant Reformation. In art, it emphasized realism and emotional intensity—Caravaggio’s gritty, dramatic paintings reflect this style.

Jan Steen
A Dutch Golden Age painter known for lively, chaotic tavern and household scenes, often using spilled wine and misbehavior as moral lessons.

Ode to Wine
A lyrical poem by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, celebrating wine as both an earthly pleasure and a cosmic force.

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