The importance of an oak barrel

Until very recently I hadn’t realised just how important the barrel was, and I am now left wondering if the barrel isn’t more important than the grape?… No, impossible.

The aromas and flavours that the oak gives to the wine, toast, caramel, coffee, toffee or vanilla all depend on the type of barrel, how old it is and how long the wine is left in the barrel.

The oak barrels are fired on the insides. A light firing will impart a ‘toast’ type aroma whereas a heavy firing will impart a ‘caramel’ aroma.

The choice of oak is also important as is the age of the barrel. When the barrel is first used the aroma’s taken up by the wine are more intense than wine placed in a barrel which is three or four years old.

Flavour isn’t the only reason for using barrels. Oak barrels are porous, so the wine gently oxides over time, the older the barrel, the more porous it is and the oxygenation process is increased. This oxygenation process, combined with the oak tannins helps smooth out the texture of the red wine without removing the preservation qualities of the tannins. The skilled wine maker has to decide how long to keep a particular wine in the oak barrel. The age of the barrel, the aromas the barrel can impart and the level of oxygenation all must be considered.

I just hadn’t realised how complicated wine making was, and this only what happens after the wine has been made. I now have a new respect for the wine maker. Clever people.

When I am swigging back my next glass of red, I will try really hard to see if I can detect any toast, caramel, toffee or vanilla. I may just need a second glass, just to be sure…

City Centre Strawberry Farms

A French company has raised €4 million to produce fruit and vegetables that are 100% free from pesticides, that are not Genetically Modified and that have zero food miles.

Their aim is to allow city dwellers to eat better than their parents by producing fresh food and vegetables in the heart of French cities.

They propose to install hydroponic containers in major French city centres.

A prototype container was used last year in Paris to produce strawberries and helped by 120 bumble bees which pollinated the plants, fresh strawberries were soon available to Parisians!.

The concept will be rolled out this year to many French cities with the long term goal of franchising the containers so that people can set up a container in their local city centre and sell the produce locally.

Experience a 'boulangerie Drive'

Everyone is familiar with a McDonalds drive through. Now popping up all over France are ‘Boulangerie Drives’, a boulangerie drive through!..

It is exactly the same concept as a Macdonalds, you drive up to a window, wind down your window, ask for a baguette and a croissant and over the cash and within 2 minutes you are on your way with a warm baguette!.

Now we have a Boulangerie Drive in Malestroit!   I can see that the Boulangerie Drives would be very popular in busy towns and cities with dense populations, but Malestroit!

I may be surprised with the opening of a Boulangerie Drive in Malestroit but I am having to eat my words as everytime I pass the Boulangerie Drive there is always a car by the baguette dispensing window!