b'THE CORKBOARD|FALL 2022The must (freshly crushed fruit juice) is stored in large barrels to continue fermenting and the process continues until all the sugar is transformed into alcohol.AG I N G & B A R R E L I N GA B O U T OA K When aging, the wine is transferred to oak barrels, stainless steel tanksM AT U R AT I O Nor to bottles. Working their magic in these final stages is the true art of the winemakers craft. Select wines made from popular grapes such as Chardonnay, Merlot,Oak ageing adds flavours Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon often undergo oak ageing after(like vanilla, clove, smoke, fermentation. There are two main types of oak used to make barrels:and coconut); allows American oak and European oak. Both types are used by Arterrafor oxygenationwhich winemakers as each imparts a different set of characters onto the wine. makes wine taste smoother and less astringent; and provides a suitable environment for certain metabolic reactions to occur (specifically Malolactic Fermentation), which makes wines taste creamier.Oak maturation can last for a few months to many years, during which time the wines flavours integrate and mature. The winemakers choices during the aging process, including how long to age the wine and how much to manipulate it, will have a huge impact on the taste of the finished product.HARVEST|19'