Which woody organic wine to choose? Our selection by color (white, rosé, red)

"Let's walk in the woods, while the wolf is not there, if the wolf was there he would eat us, but since he is not there he will not eat us!"

Ah, this sweet children's nursery rhyme, almost wild when you think about it, but which transports us to our memories and our walks of youth... Wine is another story, a good aging in oak barrels and it's went for a walk!

Where does this woody side come from in the wine?

The origins of the woody taste in organic wine

If you have tasted different types of wine in your life, you may have already been surprised by a woody taste. After checking, no piece of wood in your glass... phew, the oak frame does not collapse! No trace of wood either in the bottle? But where can this strange feeling, yet so pleasant, come from?

It is not the bunches of grapes that soak in your glass but the natural aromas of your wine that give you this woody feeling! These aromas are called tertiary aromas , they develop during the aging and aging of the wine during vinification . Depending on the aromas he wishes to give to his wine, the winemaker can decide to age his wine for 1 to 2 months for wines such as Beaujolais Nouveau and up to 1 year for more evolved wines in vats. For aging in barrels, the process is longer. Its average duration is 14 months but it can go up to 5 or 6 years. A real sleeping beauty...

Organic wooded wine , the art of maturing and aging

To make a good woody organic wine , the winemaker favors aging in oak barrels rather than in stainless steel or concrete vats . You won't get a good wine with woody notes from stainless steel or concrete tanks. On the other hand, they are less expensive, they ensure better hygiene and protect the primary aromas ( fruity , floral, vegetal, mineral, spicy ).

When the wine is ready and the winemaker has finished his vinification, he rests and develops his aromas . When it is put in oak barrels , it becomes impregnated and then reveals a bouquet of smoky , vanilla , undergrowth or caramel notes …yum! Aging in oak barrels also softens its tannins thanks to good oxidation . To know everything about wine aging, we suggest you take a look here .

Enjoy a good woody organic wine

Which woody organic wine to choose?

Young wine or wine for laying down? That is the question! When choosing your wine, try to know what you want to taste. Between a young wine and a wine for laying down, the sensations in the mouth and on the nose are very different. For a young wine, the aromas of fruit and flowers retain their freshness and pep. The aromas of the wines for laying down evolve and are closer to very ripe, stewed or even candied fruit.

If the minerality attracts you, orient yourself towards white wines whose grape variety has grown on limestone soils , here again you will have the choice between a rather dry , sweet or sweet wine . Sweet wines , which have a much higher sugar content than dry wines , have a much greater aging potential because sugar acts as an antioxidant during fermentation .

Yes, a bit like honey for example, which never expires!

In red wines , one of their signatures is astringency, which can only be found in them and which brings a nice complexity to the structure of your wine. Over time it softens. Compare its evolution, especially with wines for laying down like certain AOC Médoc , Grands Crus Châteauneuf du Pape or Grands Crus Saint Emilion .

The role of grape variety and terroir in this story

As Patrick says so well (We are talking about our Bruel and his famous ad for winamax for those who do not have the reference): “the most important thing is not your cards, it's what you do with them” . Finally, with grapes , it's a bit the same thing.

Sauvignon is renowned for its good dry white wines but some winegrowers also make very good sweet wines with it.

The regions often have their flagship grape varieties , such as Pinot noir and Chardonnay for Burgundy , Merlot often associated with Cabernet in Bordeaux or Syrah and Carignan inLanguedoc Roussillon . Yes, the vines are like us, they feel at home so they reveal their full potential when they are in their favorite land.

The grape variety, the terroir and the know-how of the winemaker are all as important as each other to make good wine. Last week, the Oé team was in Alsace and our winegrowers made us discover new vintages ready to be bottled. After a tour de table to share our sensations on our boiling senses, Thompé (our logistics manager) declared that this nectar made him think of the smell of caramel; the winemaker shared his memories of his grandmother's good chocolate cake; and Charlotte, very proud, boasted saying "Can we say that this wine is empyreumatic?". The winemaker, proud and astonished, attested that it was indeed one! Does the subject interest you? We tell you more in this article on empyreumatic wines !"

The right situation to taste a good woody organic wine?

You know, we don't think there's a good or bad situation for atasting . If we had to sum up our opinion today with you, it would seem that wine is above all a story of sharing and pleasure (we promise, after that we'll stop slipping in movie references after ♥ ). Whether your wine is red, white, rosé, dry, sweet, floral, fruity, woody ... what matters is that it does you good! As we say at home “there is nothing wrong with doing yourself good”.

So, we put on our chef's aprons and look at the food and wine pairings together .

Are the restaurants closed? Never mind, let's have an aperitif! We have what you need: white wine, rosé wine and red wine, all organic and GOOD. For rosé wines , these are sure values ​​and the kings of the aperitif . Our Corbières wine and our Mediterranean rosé wine are pure products from the South with a beautiful aromatic palette and a finesse to take us on a journey between the cicadas and the crickets of Provence. Light and very pleasant in the mouth , we love them with petit fours !

Around a good risotto with scallops, our choice goes to white wines, especially our white Bordeaux, both expressive and balanced between acidity and sweetness with a frank attack . Its beautiful pale yellow dress will remind you of the rays of the sun.

“A focaccia and a bottle of red to go with it please!” How we miss not being able to order our little dishes in our favorite restaurants! Côtes-du-Rhône , the result of a blend of Grenache , Syrah and a touch of Carignan , is the ideal companion for this Italian-style bread-pizza. Its aromatic flavors of citrus fruits and exotic fruits are an invitation to travel and indulge... To improvise as an Italian chef, we suggest you make the recipe at home. Something to wow the table tonight!

For the Focaccia recipe that goes well, it's here