Enology – Oak and Non-Traditional Woods in Alcoholic Beverage Production Session

Jennifer Neubauer | Lucas Seybert | Christophe Duplais | Peter Smallidge | Anna Katharine Mansfield*

Commercial Wine Aging Potential of Selected New York Hardwood Species

Jennifer Neubauer, Lucas Seybert, Christophe Duplais, Peter Smallidge, and Anna Katharine Mansfield*

*Cornell University, West 665 North St., Geneva, NY, 14456, akm87@cornell.edu

Barrels and adjuncts from Quercus spp. are commonly used for aging wine. Alternative wood species can contribute new flavor profiles and increase product differentiation, elevating “terroir” concepts in regional wine aging. Preliminary research established sensorial and qualitative volatile chemistry differences in New York-sourced Quercus alba, Prunus serotina, Robinia pseudoacacia, and Acer saccharum.Volatile profiles, focused on hemicellulose and lignin derivatives with potential aroma impact, will allow the NY wine, spirits, and cooperage industry to assess the potential of these species for value-added forest products. Four to six logs per species were sourced from the Finger Lakes, NY. Wood was milled, seasoned, and vacuum toasted to simulate commercial adjunct production. Sixty 50-mL model solution extractions per species, traced to tree level, were aged in contact with wood for 21 days. Targeted aroma compounds, primarily lignin and hemicellulose derivatives from preliminary research, were quantified using reference compounds via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Species profiles were differentiated by both hemicellulose and lignin derivatives. R. pseudoacacia and A. saccharum had the lowest concentrations of furfural and 5-methylfurfural, while P. serotina and A. saccharum were lowest in 4-methylguaiacol and guaiacol. P. serotina was differentiated by a lack of isoeugenol and was the only species with 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and p-anisaldehyde. R. pseudoacacia had the highest guaiacol, syringol, and guaiacol derivative concentrations, while Q. alba was differentiated by the presence of cis- and trans-whiskey lactones. A. saccharum was the lowest in guaiacol and highest in eugenol, isoeugenol, methoxyeugenol, and vanillin. In A. saccharum, vanillin increases correlated to eugenol and methoxyeugenol decreases; alternatively, these compounds were positively correlated in other species. Distinct species volatile profiles suggest New York woods may impart unique aroma characteristics.

Funding Support: Climate and Applied Forest Research Institute, The Oak Lab via Scott Labs (toasting services)

Mackenzie Aragon* | Robert Coleman | Roger Boulton | Matt Strickland | Thomas S. Collins

Effect of Entry Proof on the Extraction Kinetics of Volatile Compounds from Convection-Toasted Oak Segments

Mackenzie Aragon,* Robert Coleman, Roger Boulton, Matt Strickland, and Thomas S. Collins

*Washington State University, 2710 Crimson Way, Richland, WA, 99354, mackenzie.aragon@wsu.edu

Distilled spirits are primarily aged in oak casks/barrels and at varying ethanol concentrations. The decision of entry proof ultimately has both financial and chemical implications. With higher entry proof, fewer barrels are required for aging, but entry proof affects the extraction of aroma and flavor compounds from the wood. This study explored the effects of ethanol concentration/entry proof on the kinetics of volatile compound extraction from alternative oak products. Heavy convection toasted oak segments were sequentially cut in half by length (25.4, 12.7, 6.35, 3.18, and 1.59cm), resulting in treatments with the same total weight and volume of oak. The overall surface area increases, but more slowly than the increase of the end-grain to cross-grain ratio with progressively shorter segments. All treatments used a dosage rate of 20 g/L and were extracted in fresh-make spirits at 125-, 115-, 105-, 95-, and 85-proof for 90 days. Samples were collected throughout extraction and analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC/MS) for furfurals, guaiacols, and lactones. A modified first-order Lagergren extraction model in two dimensions was fitted to each volatile compound at each entry-proof and at varying grain ratios, using a differential evolution parameter estimation routine. The outcome of this model supports the importance of the grain ratio on both extraction rate and concentration. The resulting kinetic parameters produced an adjustable predictive model for oak volatiles extracted from chips to puncheons. Additionally, the extraction rates (k values) support a multivariate kinetic model for comparing and predicting the effects of ethanol on the extraction of volatile compounds. The model describes and predicts the extraction rate for both grain types and entry proof.

Funding Support: Scott Labs

Andreea Botezatu* | Harper Esterak

Positioning Texas-Grown Quercus alba Among American White Oaks: Volatile and Sensory Perspectives

Andreea Botezatu* and Harper Esterak

*Texas A&M University, TAMU HORT A, College Station, TX, 77843, andreea.botezatu@ag.tamu.edu

Oak-derived aroma and flavor compounds play a central role in shaping wine sensory profiles, yet limited data exist on regional variation within Quercus alba grown across different areas of the United States. This study investigates whether geographic origin influences the volatile composition and sensory impact of American white oak used in winemaking, with a particular focus on Texas-grown Q. alba relative to white oak sourced from four other U.S. states. Standardized oak alternatives produced from Q. alba harvested in Texas and comparator states were applied to model wines and wines under controlled aging conditions at equivalent toast levels and dosages. The experimental design aims to isolate geographic origin as the primary variable while minimizing confounding effects related to processing or application format. Wine samples are being monitored over time for oak-derived volatile compounds using headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). Target analytes include oak lactones, phenolic aldehydes, furanic compounds, volatile phenols, and other key contributors to oak aroma. Sensory evaluation is being conducted using trained descriptive panels to characterize aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel attributes associated with each oak origin. Chemical and sensory data sets will be integrated to explore relationships between volatile composition and perceived sensory differences attributable to oak provenance. This work seeks to clarify whether regional growing conditions impart measurable and sensorially relevant differences within Q. alba used for enological purposes. By providing a systematic comparison of Texas white oak with American white oak from other major sourcing regions, the project aims to generate data that inform oak selection strategies, support regional diversification of oak resources, and expand the scientific understanding of terroir effects in cooperage materials. The findings are expected to be particularly relevant for winemakers operating in warm-climate regions and for stakeholders interested in locally sourced oak alternatives.

Funding Support: Standard Cooperage

10:40 am – 11:00 am	The Commercial Wine Aging Potential of Selected New York Hardwood Species Jennifer Neubauer, Cornell University, New York
11:00 am – 11:20 am	The Impact of Entry Proof on the Extraction Kinetics of Volatile Compounds from Convection-Toasted Oak Segments Mackenzie Aragon, Washington State University, Tri-Cities
11:20 am – 11:40 am	Positioning Texas-Grown Quercus alba Among American White Oaks: Volatile and Sensory Perspectives Andreea Botezatu, Texas A&M University, College Station

Enology – Oak and Non-Traditional Woods in Alcoholic Beverage Production Session

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