Learn — vessels

Some may argue that reductiveness is a flaw and some may argue that it doesn't matter. Personally, although my nose is super sensitive to it, I would rather pop a bottle and find out it's a little farty than drink a wine with way too much new oak. At least the reductiveness will blow off fairly quickly allowing the rest of the aromas to shine through. Whether minimal intervention winemakers are adding trace amounts of sulfur to their wines or not, many natural wines are prone to flaws and faults. With minimal to no preservatives (sulfites) in natural wines, you...

Wine geeks are always talking about oak barrels (French? American? Slavonian?), stainless steel tanks, cement eggs, clay amphorae, and other vessels that only dorks care about. But how does this make a difference in the wine that's in your glass?  Stainless Steel vs Oak vs Concrete & Clay Oak (especially new oak) and stainless steel are on opposite sides of the spectrum, while concrete and clay offer a happy medium... Stainless Steel Helps preserve freshness and acidity (this is why it's so popular for crisp white and rose production) Provides neutral vinification environment, so (unlike new oak) there's no external aromas/flavors...